MLA’s house attacked, man killed in S Kashmir

Troops during searches at Drabgam, Pulwama on Sunday. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq
Troops during searches at Drabgam, Pulwama on Sunday. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq

Fayaz Bukhari

Srinagar, Mar 11:  Militants burled a grenade at the house of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) at Kulgam this evening while a man was killed in Pulwama this morning.
Militants at around 7:05 pm hurled a grenade at the house of PDP MLA Noorabad, Abdul Majeed Paddar, at Damhal village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The grenade exploded in the compound causing minor damage to the house and its window panes were broken.
The security guards at the house of the MLA retaliated and fired back. However, no one was injured in the incident. The MLA was not present in the house at the time of the attack.
Police said that a search operation was immediately launched to nab the militants responsible for the attack. However, no one was arrested.
And massive clashes erupted today at Drabgam village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district soon after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area.
A joint team of Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF laid a siege at Drabgam village this afternoon following the inputs about the presence of militants in the village.
As the security forces launched the searches in the village, scores of youth took to streets and pelted stones on the security forces. Police and paramilitary CRPF fired tear smoke and pellets to disperse them. The operation was later called off after no militants were found in the area.
A cordon-and-search operation was also launched at Chitragam, Zainapora by a joint team of Army’s 3 RR, SOG, and CRPF of Shopian district. However, no one was arrested.
Body of a 23-year-old youth, Mohammad Shafi Sofi son of Ghulam Haider Sofi of Samboora Pulwama, was recovered from Pulwama district of South Kashmir this morning.
The body of the youth was found by the locals who informed the police. Sofi was tied in ropes with identity card on his body at Ratnipora area of Pulwama. A police team reached the spot and has taken up the investigations.
A police spokesman said that this morning body of 25-years old man was found on Ratnipora road in Pulwama district. “Dead body identified as Mohammad Shafi Sofi son of Ghulam Hyder of Somboora. He was working as salesman in the business unit of Shah Electronic Shop at Srinagar. Dead body taken in SDH Pampore for autopsy which is being conducted by a team of doctors in presence of Executive Magistrate”, police said.
The spokesman said that initial reports suggested that he was tortured. “There are multiple deep cut wounds on his legs and other body parts. There was a rope around his neck which indicates the possibility of strangulation besides torture. No bullet injury was found on body.  Case has been registered in Police Station Pulwama”, police said.

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