Six killed in the valley

A shopkeeper and a Nepalese labourer were among the six killed in the Kashmir valley in the last 24 hours.

In Srinagar, panic gripped the busy Hari Singh high street, when unidentified militants opened fire just 200 metres from the state assembly building. The incident occurred around 1030 hours, when the assembly was in session. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

A defence ministry spokesman said Mohammad Aslam, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was killed in an inter-group clash at Bhaderwah on Wednesday evening.

Another militant of the same group, Gulla Dar, was gunned down in Beerwah. An AK-56 rifle, four magazines, 46 rounds and six grenades were recovered.

In Baramulla, militants abducted a civilian Mohammad Sadiq Reshi and later killed him in the Bothoo forest the same evening.

The Nepalese labourer, Mohammad Majid Mansori, was killed during an encounter between militants and security forces at Shumnag in Kupwara.

Militants shot dead shopkeeper Manzoor Ahmad Mir in the same district. They also wounded another vendor, critically, in Lal Bazar.

During a search operation in Noorpora, Anantnag, militants fired upon Jammu and Kashmir police task force personnel. The STF men retaliated, killing a militant. One of their personnel was also injured.

The spokesman said forces captured two militants -- one each from Shopian and Baramulla. An AK-56 rifle, a pistol, three magazines and seven rounds were recovered during these operations.

UNI