3 militants among 6 killed in north Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 9: Three militants, including a Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander, were killed by security forces in two different operations while unidentified gunmen shot dead a minor girl and two women in the Kashmir valley overnight.

A defence spokesman said troops of 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint operation at village Chalpora, Handwara, in the frontier district of Kupwara this morning.

During the operation, an encounter ensued in which a militant was killed. The operation was still going on, he said.

Another operation was conducted at Wabug, Sopore, in north Kashmir district of Baramulla by 52 and 29 RR and SOG following a tip off about the presence of militants in a house.

When the security forces were about to storm the particular house, militants attacked them. The fire was returned and in the encounter, one militant was killed. One SOG jawan was also injured, a police spokesman said.

He said another militant, holed up in the house, was also killed.

He said both the militants identified as Lateef Ahmad Ganie alias Furkan and Rafiq Ahmad Shah of HM had crossed over into Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1999 and returned in June this year.

Lateef was self-styled battalion commander, he said.

Police spokesman said a group of unidentified gunmen entered the house of one Mohammad Maqbool Malik at Warpora, Sopore, about 55 km from here last night and opened fire on the inmates. The daughter of house owner Nargis Maqbool and another girl Aamish Barkat were injured. The injured were admitted to hospital where Barkat died.

He said unidentified militants shot dead Zaitooni, a 40 year-old wife of late Bashir Ahmad Mir at Check Arsala Khan Bandipora in north Kashmir while body of another woman was recovered from river Jehlum at Hajan.

UNI