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6 extremists, 3 security men among 12 killed in Kashmir

Life in the Kashmir valley was crippled today following a bandh (general strike) called by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference to protest against the detention of its leaders, including chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, under the Public Safety Act.

Six extremists, including two foreigners, and three security force personnel were among 12 persons killed in the state in the last 24 hours.

Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and some other major towns of the valley remained closed. Vehicles were off the road and government and semi-government offices, banks and educational institutions were deserted. But autorickshaws were seen plying on some city routes.

A dozen APHC leaders were arrested by police for their campaign against the general election.

Meanwhile, Geelani was admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura last evening after he complained of chest pain.

Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah, who was arrested at Doda about two weeks ago, has also not been released so far.

It was not immediately known whether he too had been booked under the PSA.

A report from Baramulla said extremists attacked a security force patrol at Lolab in north Kashmir with automatic weapons. The security forces returned the fire, killing Ghulam Rasool Bhat.

In a major success, personnel of the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police headed by Manohar Singh arrested eight terrorists in overnight operations.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including RDX, improvised explosive devices, wireless sets and magazines, were recovered during the raids.

A police spokesman said extremists shot dead two counter-insurgents Bashir Ahmad Khan and Ghulam Rasool Bhat inside their houses at Vijaypora and Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara late last night.

He said a security force patrol was fired upon by extremists at Zakoora on the outskirts of Srinagar last evening, killing two jawans. The attackers escaped before the patrol could retaliate.

Security personnel killed four extremists, including a foreigner, in three different encounters at Machil, in the Hakpathri forest and in the Posh Margi forest in Kupwara district last night.

Three Kalashnikov rifles, nine magazines, seven rockets, four grenades, 2.5 kilos of explosives and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.

The spokesman said extremists entered the house of police constable Asgar Ali and shot him dead at Gool while a foreign terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces at Bachianwali last evening.

Militants attacked a security force search party in the Gagrian forest in Shopian block of Pulwama district last evening. The search party returned the fire, killing one militant.

Militants also attacked a security force camp at Aragam, Bandipora, with grenades and automatic weapons last night. But none was injured.

The spokesman said security forces unearthed an arms dump in the Duniwar forest in Baramulla and recovered 80 anti-personnel mines along with fuses, five remote-control devices, five rockets and 300 rounds last evening while one terrorist was arrested at Tral in Pulwama.

UNI

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