M A I N   N E W S

BSF jawan, 7 ultras killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, November 7
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan and seven militants were among nine persons killed.

Meanwhile, the BSF averted a major tragedy with timely detection of an IED under a bridge today, official sources said today.

A Defence Ministry spokesman told newspersons that an encounter took place between troops of 22 Rashtriya Rifles and militants at Puthkha in north Kashmir today in which three militants were killed.

Two more militants were shot dead by security forces at Amargrah in Baramula district this afternoon during a search operation. An official spokesman said militants gunned down a BSF jawan, Mahesh Chander, of 52 Batallion at Yaripora Kulgam in south Kashmir this morning.

He said security forces and the Special Operation Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police killed one militant each at Machil and Haihama in the frontier district of Kupwara last night.

Jammu: Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged heavy artillery firing at numerous places in Jammu and Kathua districts of the region late last night, official sources said today. UNI, PTI

Pakistan expels Indian staffer

Islamabad, November 7
Pakistan today expelled a staffer of the Indian High Commission apparently in retaliation for New Delhi declaring a Pakistani High Commission official persona non-grata after he was found engaging in espionage last week.

Mr Devendra Kumar Gupta, who has been working in the visa section of the Indian mission, had been asked to be withdrawn within seven days, the Pakistan Foreign Office release said. PTI