Awami leader, gunmen killed
25 ultras attack residence
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Nov 28 — Senior Awami League leader Mohammad Anwar Sheikh and his two bodyguards were killed and his wife and daughter-in-law seriously injured when at least 25 militants attacked his house with grenades in north Kashmir, a senior police official said today.

The militants hurled grenades and opened heavy fire from all directions on the residence of Mr Sheikh, senior vice-president of the League, at Bandipora, 61 km from here, last night, forcing the police guards on duty to return the fire, Inspector-General of Police (Kashmir) Gopal Sharma said.

Mr Sharma said a charred body was recovered from the debris of the house which was set ablaze by the militants before fleeing. The body was later identified as that of Mr Sheikh.

Constables Latief Ahmad and Mohammad Dayim of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police were also killed in the gunfight which left Mr Sheikh's wife, Zoona Begum, and daughter-in-law, Haleema, seriously injured.

Mr Sheikh had unsuccessfully contested the 1996 Assembly elections from the Gurez constituency in north Kashmir. A former official of the Jammu and Kashmir police, he had resigned in the nineties to join the Awami League of Kukka Parray. Parray had then constituted the party with surrendered militants as its members.

This is the first major militant attack on Awami League leaders in the valley since the formation of the party by surrendered militants four years back.

A massive hunt has been launched to trace Mr Sheikh and his two guards and also to track down the attackers.

A militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Chorrar forests in Kupwara district yesterday. A rifle, four magazines, 55 rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Militants shot Mr Ghulam Nabi Dar at Maidan-e-Chogal in Kupwara district when they intruded into his house. The injured Dar was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Two persons, including a taxi driver, were injured when scooter-borne militants fired at a picket of the security forces at Kakasarai, Safakadal, here this morning. The security personnel returned the fire and in the exchange two persons were injured, the police said.

JAMMU (PTI): Militants fired more than 10 rockets on an Army camp in Poonch district on Saturday evening.

The rockets were fired on the camp in Sakloo area from hilltops through rocket projectile guns, but missed the target and exploded in deserted places near the camp.

Meanwhile, a report from New Delhi denied reports that an Army camp in Haft Chinar area of Srinagar was attacked by militants on Saturday.

In a statement, the Army said: "Four to five grenades actually fell in civil area of Aloochi Bagh at 1330 hours, that is approximately 400 metres away from the Army complex.