Tuesday, October 4 2005 20:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Three militants, including a self-styled area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed and three others arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, where a CRPF jawan and a civilian were injured in two separate explosions since last night.

Acting on a tip off about presence of a top militant, troops launched a cordon and search operation in Thuru-Arnas area of Udhampur district today (Oct 4, 2005), a police spokesman said.

In an encounter that followed, self-styled area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Abu Usman was killed. An AK rifle, three magazines, 94 rounds, two grenades, two transmitters, four electronic detonators, three kgs explosives, a wireless set, a programmed timed device and three UBGL grenades were recovered from the killed militant, the spokesman said.

He said security forces killed another militant Qari Umar Inqulabi alias Mast Gul of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) outfit in an encounter at Shoe Nallah Morah in Manjhari area of Gursai in Poonch district last night. An AK rifle, two magazines, a hand grenade and two wireless sets were recovered from him.

Body of a Hizbul Mujahideen worker, identified as Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, was recovered from Kulgam area of Anantnag district today.

Sheikh, a resident of Bani Mohalla village of Kulgam had been abducted by militants from the house of one Ghulam Nabi Dar at Khairwate and later shot dead, he said, adding, the cause behind the killing was said to be internal rivalry among militants over financial dealing.

A CRPF jawan was injured when militants lobbed a grenade on a security patrol outside Islamia college at Hawal in downtown Srinagar today, official sources said.