Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 4: A man was shot dead while his wife was critically injured after militants opened fire upon them at Harwan area of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district tonight while a massive search operation against a group of militants involved in the killing of three civilians in Baramulla town has been extended to Rafiabad forests and a woman was injured in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district today.
Militants tonight around 9.25 p.m fired upon Mohammad Ashraf Mir and his wife Saima at their residence at Mir Mohalla Harwan in Sopore area of North Kashmir.
Both were rushed to Sub-Distt Hospital Sopore where Ashraf was declared as brought dead. Mir was driver by profession and police have registered a case and investigations have been taken up. Searches have been launched against the militants responsible for the killing.
SSP Javed Iqbal told Excelsior that initial investigation have revealed that Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is behind the killing.
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And in the meantime, security forces who had launched a cordon-and-search operation in Drangbal village which is few kilometers away from the Old Town Baramulla against a group of militants who killed three civilians in Baramulla town on Monday. The militants are believed to be belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit.
The operation launched by a joint team of Army’s 46 RR, SOG and CRPF continued today during which they busted a forest hideout of militants. Some warlike stores were recovered from it. The Para commandos of the Army also joined the operation in Drangbal forests today.
Security forces today extended the operation in Upper reaches of Rafiabad forests against the same militant group. A joint team of 32 RR of Army and SOG cordoned off vast forest area to hunt the militant group which includes at least one Pakistani militant.
In the meantime, a woman was injured as Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy firing in North Kashmir’s Tanghdar Sector of Kupwara district last night.
A senior police officer said that Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts of army’s 20 JAT at Tad along LoC in Tanghdar at 11:00 pm on Thursday. “The fire was retaliated and continued intermittently till 4:30 am,” he said.
He said that a few shells landed near the civilian population resulting in injuries to a woman. He identified the injured as Noor Jahan wife of Ghulam Hassan. She has been shifted to hospital for treatment.
And in Pulwama militants made an abortive bid at Police Station Pulwama in South Kashmir by lobbing a grenade towards it this evening.
Militants hurled a grenade on the Police Station but there was no report of any casualty in the explosion. Police fired in air following the grenade attack.
In a separate incident, Police fired few shots in air to disperse a group of youth who pelted stones at them when they were on their way to launch a cordon-and-search operation along with CRPF and army near Wani Masjid in Main Bazar Pulwama. However, there was no injury to anyone in the incident.
Meanwhile, a joint team of army, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation at Malikpora, Chandgam area of Pulwama.