J&K: Constable killed, jawan hurt in encounter with militants

Srinagar, Oct. 29 (PTI): A police constable was killed and an Army jawan injured in an encounter with militants in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district today, officials said.

The militants, however, managed to escape and security forces were making efforts to track them down, they added.

Security forces cordoned off the Mir Mohalla village in the Hajin area of Bandipora this morning following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants, a police official said.

As the forces were conducting searches, the militants opened fire triggering a gun battle, he said.

Constable Zahir Abbas of the J&K police was killed while an Army soldier sustained minor injuries in the gun battle, he said.

The militants managed to escape from the security forces’ cordon, the official said.

An Army official said that search operations had been expanded to nearby areas to track down the militants.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and senior officers paid tributes and placed floral wreaths on the body of the slain constable.

Inspector General of Police, Munir Ahmad Khan, IG (Traffic), Jagjit Kumar, DIG (Central Kashmir) Ghulam Hassan Bhat, officers of the Army and CRPF were present at the wreath laying ceremony, a police spokesman said.

Abbas is survived by elderly parents, wife, three minor children — Mehtab Zaheer (10), Manik Ahmad (8) and Sumaira Zaheer (5), he added.