Srinagar: Nine people, including two soldiers, four militants and a ruling PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) worker, were killed and six injured in Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday (Aug 5, 2004), a police spokesman said.

Three militants, two Armymen and a woman were killed in a fierce daylong encounter at Arigoripora in Kangan, 40 kms from Srinagar, on Srinagar-Leh national highway, he said. A soldier and a civilian were injured in the gunbattle, which erupted when security forces cordoned the area to nab hiding militants this morning.

Another fierce gunbattle was going on at Konibal village in Pulwama district of South Kashmir. The encounter erupted when troops of Rashtriya rifles raided the house of one Ghulam Ahmad Bhat in the village this afternoon, the spokesman said. Casualties on the either side were not known immediately.

Police recovered body of PDP activist Abdul Hamid Piswal from Satlanjan Behak on the outskirts of Pahalgam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir this morning, the spokesman said. Piswal, a resident of Dahwathoo was kidnapped by militants during the intervening night of Wednesday (Aug 4, 2004) and Thursday and subsequently killed, he said.

Militants shot dead one Abdul Aziz alias Shikari and wounded his son Abdul Hamid near their house at Marah in Bafliaz sector of Poonch district today, he said. The father- son duo were on way to their residence from Der Dhok when militants attacked them.

Police recovered a skeleton identified as that of Samad lone, who had been missing since June 2, from Baly Nallah in Kupwara district last night, he said.

One militant was shot dead by security forces at Gadi Nullah in Doda district today, the sources said adding four grenade, one AK magazine and 28 rounds of AK ammunition, one pouch, one transistor and one tape recorder were recovered from the slain militant.

Militants hurled a grenade on a joint patrol party of police and security forces at Kishtwar in Doda district last evening, injuring two persons including a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan, the spokesman said.

A taxi driver, Bashir Ahmad Gassi was critically injured when he was caught in cross fire in an encounter with CRPF personnel and an ultra at Gogjibagh in uptown Srinagar in the wee hours today, official sources said. The spokesman said militants fired two rifle grenades followed by firing on a security camp at Shopian in Pulwama district last night, but none was hurt.

While one of the grenades struck the roof of the house of one Ghulam Qadir causing damage to it, the second one filed to explode and was later defused by experts.

He said BSF (Border Security Force) apprehended a Hizbul Mujahideen militant from Baza Bazar in Pulwama district and recovered a wireless set and two hand grenades from him. Security forces recovered an under-barrel grenade launcher, a hand grenade and some ammunition from Gurez in Baramulla and Charangri in Poonch district, the spokesman said.