Ultra, SPO killed in Baramulla gunfight

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 21

In the first encounter between militants and security forces in Kashmir since the restrictions were imposed on August 5, a militant and a policeman were killed and a police officer injured while no major law and order situation was reported on Wednesday.

The encounter took place in Ganai Mohalla of Baramulla town in north Kashmir which concluded early this morning, DIG Police, Central Kashmir, VK Virdi said at media briefing here this evening. The militant has been identified as Momin Gojri of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. An SPO, Bilal Ahmad, was also killed in the encounter while SI Amardep Parihar was injured, who is undergoing treatment. The police had declared Baramulla as a militant-free town in January this year.

 "No major law and order situation was reported from any part of the Valley today while relaxations were further eased in many areas," the DIG said. There were some minor incidents of stone pelting in some areas, he said, and added that the situation was being monitored closely by the authorities at the ground level.  A law and order situation was reported from the Telbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar late last night and dealt, he said.

On the functioning of other facilities, Director of Information, J&K Government, Syed Sehrish Asghar said all hospitals, banks, ATMs and healthcare services were functioning normally in the Jammu region as there were adequate stocks of medicines and other supplies. In view of the upcoming harvest season, the preparations for transportation of horticulture produce were reviewed at the Kashmir Divisional level, she said. She urged people not to believe in rumours about unavailability of transport facilities.