Briefly: Wanted criminal escapes from police custody

Samba/Jammu: A hardcore criminal escaped from police custody in Samba district, officials said on Sunday. Mohd Latief alias Latief Punjabi, a resident of Malpur in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, was arrested near his rented house in Chak Dayala near Basantar bridge on Thursday, police said. A pistol and five cartridges were seized from him, they said. He was lodged at Rakh Amb Tali police post from where he escaped late Saturday, they said. Various police teams have been constituted to nab the criminal who is wanted in multiple cases of attempt to murder, theft, rioting and Arms Act in Samba district and Punjab, officials said. PTI

3 of family missing after Ramban cloudburst

Ramban/Jammu: A woman and her two children were reported missing following a cloudburst in a remote area in Ramban district on Monday, officials said. Ramban DC Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary said the cloudburst occurred in panchayats Kumate, Dhraman and Halla and rescue teams are on the spot. The officials said the cloudburst took place around 2.30 pm, causing flash floods in Tanger and Dadi streams. Naseema Begum (42), her son Yasir Ahmad (16) and six-year-old daughter were reported missing from their house which was damaged in the flash floods at Kumait hala in Rajgarh tehsil. At least two government middle schools and a couple of other structures also suffered damages. PTI

4 persons detained for roaming near Army camp

Jammu: Four persons were detained for questioning after they were found roaming near an Army camp in the Kathua district on Monday, officials said. All the four detained persons were unarmed and were seen moving suspiciously near the Army camp at Billawar, the officials said. They said security forces immediately intercepted them and they were taken into preventive custody for questioning. Security forces are on high alert across J&K following increased terrorist activities and the Assembly elections scheduled to begin on September 18. PTI

Rusted landmine defused along LoC in Poonch

Mendhar/Jammu: A rusted landmine was defused by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Monday, officials said. The landmine was noticed by an Army patrol party in a forward village near the border fence in Balakote sector of Mendhar sub-division around 11 am, the officials said. A bomb disposal squad was immediately summoned and the landmine was safely destroyed in a controlled explosion without causing any damage, they said. PTI