Wednesday, June 1 2005 09:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: 17 people, including 12 militants and 4 security personnel, were killed and 3 others injured in a fierce gun battles across Jammu and Kashmir, where 3 ultras were arrested, a police spokesman said yesterday (May 31, 2005).

Three Hizbul Mujahideen militants and two soldiers were killed in a gun battle, lasting several hours, during search operations at Nildoora village of Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday, the spokesman said.

He said a house and a cowshed, where the militants had taken shelter, were also damaged during the encounter.

In another encounter, five suspected militants of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit and an Army jawan were killed at Makhi jungle in Surankote area of Poonch district yesterday, the spokesman said adding that four AK assault rifles and a pika gun were recovered from the scene.

Two LeT militants, identified as Sadiq Gaznavi and Ibn-e-Umer of Pakistan, were killed and an Army jawan injured in a nightlong encounter at Billinar village of Vilgam in Kupwara district in the wee hours yesterday.

Two AK rifles, four grenades and two wireless sets were recovered from the slain militants.

Two houses where the militants had taken shelter were damaged during the encounter, the spokesman said.

Security forces killed two more militants at Lamber in Baramulla district and recovered two AK rifles, eight magazines, 200 rounds, four grenades, a pistol and two magazines from them, the spokesman said.

Militants opened fire on a search party of security forces at Banyari in Sumbal area of Baramulla district killing a security jawan, the spokesman said.

He said militants kidnapped and later shot dead one Manzoor Hussain in Thanamandi area of Rajouri district.

Two persons were injured in an explosion triggered by militants at Shopian bus stand in Pulwama district yesterday. The blast was caused by a grenade on the roof of a Srinagar-bound passenger bus shortly before its departure.

Border Security Force (BSF) arrested one person carrying a live grenade near the official residence of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in Srinagar, official sources said.

They said troops of BSF deployed along Maulana Azad road in the heart of Srinagar signalled a youth to stop for frisking. The youth tried to flee and threw away a polythene bag, which he was carrying.

The BSF personnel arrested him after a brief chase near the official residence of the Chief Minister. The search of the polythene bag led to the recovery of a live grenade, they said.