Woman among 3 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, June 21 (PTI) — Two militants and a woman were killed and two wounded in militancy-related violence and a major mishap was averted in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

A shopkeeper sustained splinter injuries when a grenade lobbed by militants on a security vehicle missed the target and exploded on the road at Iqbal Market in Sopore town of Baramula district today.

Four suspected militants were taken into custody following the explosion, the spokesman said.

A major mishap was averted when an improvised explosive device, planted by militants under a culvert on the Kishtwar-Chatroo road, was detected and neutralised by experts before it could cause any harm, yesterday.

Ultras also barged into the house of a person at Dharamkund in Udhampur district of the last night and gunned down his wife Zaitoon Begum.

The spokesman said one of the two militants killed in an encounter with security forces at Dharna-Duroo village in Anantnag district was identified as a foreign mercenary. A wireless set and some rounds of ammunition were seized from the site of the encounter.

Militants shot at and critically wounded Ashaq Hussain Reshi, near Rajorikadal in Srinagar. Reshi was a released militant of the Harkat-ul-Ansar.

26 Hurriyat men held

SRINAGAR, June 21 (PTI) — Twenty-six supporters of the Hurriyat Conference were today held when they tried to take out a procession in the city in violation of the prohibitory orders to protest the ongoing air strikes against Pak-backed infiltrators in Kargil and Batalik sectors, official sources said.

They were demanding an immediate end to the air strikes and resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.