Militants get the better of army, shoot down four jawans

Four army personnel and a militant were among the six killed in a bandh- hit Kashmir valley on Saturday. Government troops also captured two militants.

A defence ministry spokesman said troops, on receiving information about militant movement in village Singpora near Beerwah, Badgam district, cordoned off the area around 1830 hours on Friday evening.

The militants opened fire with automatic weapons as the troops were about to start on house-to-house search. The forces retaliated and the exchange continued till 0830 hours on Saturday morning. An Al-Burq militant, Mohammad Ashraf, and four army personnel lost their lives in the shoot-out.

The spokesman said a search operation was in progress in the area. Another body, of Abdul Majid, a civilian, was also recovered from the encounter site.

On Friday night, militants detonated a powerful improvised explosive device in downtown Srinagar, damaging a security vehicle. The driver was injured.

Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and other major towns in Kashmir remained closed on a strike call given by the All Party Kashmir Hurriyat Conference to protest the state government's 'harassment of office-bearers of several employees organisation.'

Work in government offices, banks and educational institutions was paralysed. Traffic remained off the road.

UNI