Jammu, September 9
In a surprise attack, a special police officer (SPO) led a terrorist raid on a police picket in the Chinyas area of Gandhoh in Doda district — the home constituency of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad — today and fled after killing two SPOs and taking away seven automatic rifles.

According to reports reaching here, the picket had been set up in the house of a surrendered militant, Javed Iqbal, who allegedly facilitated the attack along with SPO Abdul Qayoom.

It has been learned that they first killed two SPOs — Gautam Singh and Ishwar Lal — and then took away the arms and a large quantity of ammunition, including over 6000 rounds of different rifles.

They reportedly took away one light machine gun (LMG), one AK 47 and five self-loading rifles (SLR).

Twelve SPOs were posted in the picket but 10 of them were absent from duty at the time of attack.

Srinagar, September 9
With the flood situation easing further in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government has launched an awareness campaign on precautionary measures to check the outbreak of waterborne diseases.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma today asked the Health Department to deploy teams of doctors and paramedical staff to the flood-ravaged areas to educate people about the precautionary measures to be taken to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases and provide medicines to the needy, official sources said.

He called for involvement of local people in the awareness campaign and equip all health units with required medicines to keep waterborne diseases at bay.

The minister called upon doctors to remain sincere to their profession and said any dereliction of duty would embarrass the entire administration.

Mr Sharma said the government would take necessary steps to remove bottlenecks, if any, for improving the functioning of the department and service condition of doctors and other employees but at the same time take serious note of any lapses on their part.

Director of Health Services Kashmir, Muzaffar Ahmed said 160 teams of doctors and paramedical staff have been pressed into service in all flood-hit areas with medicines.

Of these, 12 teams have been deployed in Srinagar, 58 in Anantnag, 44 in Pulwama, 34 in Budgam and 12 in Baramulla where sufficient publicity material and chlorine tablets have been distributed.

Arrangements have already been made for spraying the affected areas with bleaching powder and phenyl, he said. — PTI