Saturday, August 20 2005 20:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Five militants, including a Hindu area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, where ultras shot dead two Village Defence Committee members and attacked the houses of a former National Conference legislator and a ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader since last night.

This was for the first time in the history of militancy in the state that a Hindu militant commander has been killed, a police spokesman said here today (Aug 20, 2005). The area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, identified as Uttam Singh alias Saifullah, was killed when the police guards posted at the residence of a local leader Mohammad Sharief Rather fired in retaliation to militant attack at village Thaloran in Gandoh area of Doda district early today, he said.

Singh, a resident of Bisran village of Gandoh, had reportedly snatched a .303 rifle alongwith 50 rounds from Village Defence Members (VDC) members from his village in August 2004 and joined Hizbul Mujahideen group, the spokesman said. He was appointed as the area commander of Gandoh recently and was one of the seven Hindu militants active in the district. An AK assault rifle and two magazines were recovered from the deceased.

The spokesman said another hardcore Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Farooq Ahmad Khan, was killed in an encounter with Rashtriya rifles during search operations in the forests of Kullarnar in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district this afternoon

Security forces killed one more Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Irshad Ahmad alias Fidayeen, in a gunfight at Guwas-Chabba in Gandoh area this morning. One .303 rifle and four grenades were seized from him, the spokesman said.

In different encounters, security forces killed two militants at Thian-Kangan on the outskirts of Srinagar and Sogam in Kupwara district today, the spokesman said. The identity and group affiliations of the slain militants are being ascertained, he said. The spokesman said a group of about seven militants raided a hut at Bangar Dhar in Doda district last night and killed two VDC members, Bishroop and Bodh Raj, both residents of Neeju-Sarore in Kishtwar area.

In another incident, a group of heavily-armed militants fired two rifle grenades and resorted to firing on the house of former National Conference legislator Sheikh Mohammad Rafi, being guarded jointly by Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Force, at village Kasdoora in Shopian area of Pulwama district last night, official sources said.

The guards posted there fired in retaliation forcing the ultras to flee the village, the sources said adding no one was injured in the exchange of fire, which lasted for nearly half-an-hour. However, several windowpanes of the house were smashed under the impact of the explosions and gunfire.

Rafi alongwith his family was not present at the house when the incident occurred. In another incident, militants opened fire on the house of ruling PDP block president Ghulam Hassan Rather at village Sheeri in Baramulla district last night.

The police guards fired and no casualties have been reported so far.