SRINAGAR; Fifteen militants and two security men were among, the 21 persons killed in Kashmir valley state of Jammu and Kashmir overnight since Thursday, while a senior police officer escaped an attempt on his life in this summer capital.

Eighteen militants, four of them activists of the Muslim Janbaaz Force and an activist of Allah Tigers were arrested and a large quantity of arms and ammunition seized during the period.

Zahoor Ahmed Chisti, liasion officer of the state police, who was till recently superintendent of city police, escaped unjust near Islamia College in downtown Srinagar Friday when militants ambushed his vehicle on Friday afternoon.

According to police sources, the river of the vehicle was injured in the attack, while Chisti escaped unhurt.

This is the third such attack on a senior police officer in less than a week. On August 30 the senior superintendent of police, SSP, Anantnag, escaped with bullet injuries, while special deputy inspector general, northern districts of Baramulla and Kupwara, Mohan Dev, escaped unhurt on September 5.

SRINAGAR: Three security men and two militants were among seven people killed in the Kashmir valley while the special deputy inspector general of police, Mohan Dev, escaped an attempt on his life on Wednesday.

Militants clashed with security forces at six places in four of the six districts in the valley, where a 48hour bandh called by militants and the strike by state government employees, paralysed normal life for the second day on Wednesday.

One militant was arrested and one Ak47 rifle, two magazines and 20 rounds were seized in so pore on information, an official told newsmen Wednesday.

Militants ambushed the vehicle in which the deputy inspector general of police in charge of North Kashmir districts of Baramulla

JAMMU: Six persons, including three personnel of the border roads organisation (BRO) were killed and six militants arrested while functioning of government offices remained paralysed on the second day on Wednesday in the Kashmir valley.

An official spokesman here said three BRO personnel were killed when militants attacked their vehicle near Manasbal on outskirts of Srinagar this morning. However, he did not give their ranks and other details.

The attack on the BRO personnel is the second, the last being on March this year.

Three unidentified bodies were recovered from Baramullah on the outskirts of Srinagar and Shopian in South Kashmir while elsewhere in the state two persons were injured in militant violence in the last 24 hours, official sources said. A legislator escaped an assassination attempt by militants, who killed five people in their fight for the secession of Kashmir on Sept 6.

An official said three security personnel accompanying the legislator, Bhat, sustained minor injuries, when militants attacked their vehicle near the Srinagar center jail.

Police sources said one of the bodyguards was hit in the head by a bullet the other two sustained minor injuries. Bhat had gone to Srinagar central jail to meet Fayaz Ahmed Sufi, a dentenue. Bhata was attacked after meeting the detenue.

Bhat who won the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat uncontested for the national conference in 1989 Lok Sabha elections.

An official spokesman said 15 militants were killed in three separate “encounters” with security forces late Thursday.

Twelve of them were killed in the curfew bound five km border belt in the URI sector while they were trying to cross over while three others were killed in two separate encounters in Baramulla district, the spokesman said.

The state administrative machinery screeched to a halt on Monday with over 1.35 Lakh state government employees striking work to protest the excesses of the security forces and reinstatement of their dismissed colleagues while seven persons were killed and several others injured.

The authorities expressed surprised at the strike as the administration had assured the leaders that their grievances would be looked into and the agitation was deferred Three days ago.

The agreement had been obviously scuttled by the militant outfit, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 14, 1990