Chandigarh (PTI) Fifteen persons were gunned down and about 20 others wounded when gunmen opened firing at Mandi Ahmedgarh in Sangrur district of state of Punjab On March 21 police said.

Twenty-seven persons including seven top militants and eleven other militants were killed in other parts of the state since Friday night.

Militants in their fourth major strike since the Beant Singh ted Congress-I government took over opened firing in the main market at Gandhi Chowk in Mandi Ahmedgarh making late evening shopkeepers and customers their target.

Two of the injured succumbed to their injuries in a local hospital Saturday night taking the toll in the indiscriminate firing to 15. About 20 others were injured in the firing.

Tension mounted in the town as people collected outside the local civil hospital raising slogans against what they called police inaction.

Militants fired indiscriminately fire near a busy intersection of the town at around 1930 hours. Thirteen persons were killed on the spot while more than 20 others injured according to reports.

Earlier the toll in the incident was put at six.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner D S Bains and Senior Superintendent of police Narinder Pal Singh have rushed to the scene. Kirpal Singh chief of Sirlath Khalsa (suicide squad) and his deputy chief Karamjit Kingh Alias Nihar were killed in an encounter with security forces at village Mughal Majra in Patiala district Saturday.

One foreign made revolver gun and some ammunition were recovered from the scene Two unidentified militants of the Khalistan Liberation Organization (KLO) and a police constable Sahib Singh were killed in an encounter with security forces in village Fatehgarh Chach in Amritsar district today.

The security forces also rescued a 15-year old boy Amrik Singh who was kidnapped by the killed militants for a ransom of Rs 500000 in “the operation. One AK-47 rifle with three magazines one230bore a user and some ammunition were recovered from the scene. Among the seven top hit men who were killed in separate encounters with security forces in Derozepur Gurdaspur and Amritsar Sistricts included Harpal Singh I. Gen. OF KCF Baljt Sing hit. Gen OK C F (Mathura Faction) Amanpreet Singh lt. Gen OK CF(Kashmira Faction) Major Singh area commander of KCF (Panjwar Faction) Mokitiar Singh area commander Of Bhindranwale tigers force of Khalistan (BTFK) and Saranjit Singh area commander of dashmesh regiment.

Militants dragged out three brothers from their house in village Kothe Baggian Rode in Faridkot district and shot those dead Saturday and another in Jahangir village in Tarn Taran Police District. Militant’s gunned down one person in Dugei village of Tarn Taran police district early Sunday morning.

A brick-kiln owner was kid napped from near Davinda village of Sangrur District. Meanwhile there was no breakthrough in Saturday night’s incident of firing by militants in Ahmedgarh town of Sangrur District. Meanwhile there is was no breakthrough in Saturday night’s incident of firing by militants in ahmedgarh town of sangrur district which left 13 killed and six injured Eleven of the killed were identified as Raj Rani Ram Piyari Rampti Abdul Ghaffar Sita R Jagdish Chand Purshotam Kaur Manohar Lal Beant Lal and Dinesh Kumar Sunday evening.

A I2 bore gun two kg explosive material a detonator and about 100 cartridges were recovered from the slain militant.

In another encounter” two unidentified militants were shot dead by security forces at Fatehgarh Shukar Chak village in Majidha police district. Constable Sahib Singh who was wounded in the encounter succumbed to his injuries in hospital later. One Amik Singh who had been earlier kidnaped by the militants was however rescued. An AK-47rifleand a Mouser was recovered from the encounter site.

Militants ambushed a police party escorting three militants identified as Jagroop jagjit Singh Balwinder Singh for recovery of arms near Ghatiawali village in Ferozequr district early on Sunday morning. “Police turned the fire but all the three militants were killed in the cross-fire” the police claimed.

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