CHANDIGARH: Sixteen per- sons, including five members of two families, a police sub-inspector and nine militants, were killed and four securitymen, one of the man Army Major, injured in Punjab since Oct.26, police said here on Tuesday.

Three unidentified militants were killed in a gun battle that followed a joint operation by the Amy, Punjab Police and the CRPF in Ratta Gudda village in Mand area of Amritsar district on Tuesday.

An Army Major, a police sub- inspector and two police con- stables were also injured in the operation that started on Monday night after the security forces cordoned-off the village for conducting search operations.

Police said the operation, which continued through the day on ‘Tuesday, was suspended for the night and would be resumed on Wednesday morning. One self- loading rifle and one AK-47 rifle were recovered.

Militants shot dead a couple and their daughter in Udhoke village in Majitha police district on Monday night.

The victims were identified as Maral Singh, his wife Kulwant Kaur and daughter Baljit Kaur.

Sub-Inspector Hardev Singh of the Home Guards, who was posted at the Amritsar railway station, was shot dead in his house in Nangal Barnala village in Majitha police district, police said.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 6, 1992