SRINAGAR: Over the week 38 people were killed while several persons including some security men were injured in clashes involving militants in Srinagar and some other parts of Kashmir valley on Wednesday.

Official reports said that one Mushtaq Ahmed Waza was killed in Baramulla town, north Kashmir when security forces opened fire after a grenade was hurled on a picket near a branch office of J and K Bank.

Six unidentified bodies believed to be those of militant victims were fished out from river Jehlum near Baramullah on Tuesday.

Three persons were killed and two CRPF Jawans injured in exchange of fire between militants and security men in eight localities of downtown Srinagar, official sources said.

A beheaded body was found at Malaratta in Srinagar. The body was identified as that of one Mohammad Amin.

The Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed accompanied by a team of home ministry officials arrived in Srinagar late this evening from Amritsar. An official release said that soon after his arrival he held meeting with the law and order authorities and reviewed the situation in the valley.

There will be 12 hours curfew relaxation in Srinagar tomorrow from 0600 hours except in areas falling under six police stations.

Meanwhile the day curfew in Bhaderwah town of Doda district in Jammu region was lifted following improvement in situation. The curfew was imposed on Monday after bomb explosion at a place of worship.

A report from Anantnag in South Kashmir said and security forces exchanged fire near Sherbaghin. However it was not immediately known if anyone was injured in the incident.

A bomb explosion damaged the house of former national conference legislator and a tehsil office building was set ablaze.

Meanwhile search operations to trace the militants who attacked security men with rockets at Dalgate area continued .Official sources said about 25 persons have been taken into custody.

An Afghan national was arrested in Pulwama district, 32 km from here in South Kashmir, Tuesday night. He is being questioned, the sources said.

The residence of a former national conference member of the legislative assembly, Pir Mohammad Shafi, was partially damaged in a powerful explosion at Lalbazar 40 km from here in South Kashmir was set ablaze this morning. Police has registered a case to investigate the cause of fire, but sources did not rule out possibility.

Barring two localities of Alimasjid and Tibetan colony falling under Safakadal police station, curfew was relaxed for 10 hours in the city from 0600 hours.

Meanwhile, outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen has given a call for three day mourning following killing of their deputy chief commander, Mohammad Abdullah Bangroo, on Monday in an encounter with BSF at Barzullah.

On June 19 several security men were feared killed in rocket attacks. By militants on two hotel buildings

The militants fired two rockets at the hotel where para military central reserve police force personnel were staying, causing extensive damage to the buildings.

This is the first time that rockets were used by the Kashmiri militants in the city.

The rocket attack was followed by indiscriminate firing from all corners by militants on security men who returned the fire.

Eyewitnesses said the exchange of fire lasted nearly 90 minutes,

Militants also exchanged fire with security men in the curfew bound Dareshkadal area in downtown Srinagar Tuesday morning. However there was no report of any loss of life.

Eleven people including three members of a family were killed, six injured in different parts of Indian state of Kashmir since Saturday.

A police spokesman said, three members of a family were gunned down and six others injured when five militants entered the house and fired indiscriminately at the inmates in downtown Srinagar, the capital city of the state, Sunday morning.

The area was cordoned off to nab the killers and combing of the area was continuing till last reports came in.

One militant was killed by security forces in North Kashmir when he did not heed to their warning to surrender.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 29, 1990