SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (J KLF) has demanded the release of 15 top militants, including Mohammad Salim alias Nanhaji, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Mohammad Yasin Bhatt, in exchange for three officials of the Military Engineering Service (MES) who were kidnapped.

The JKLF released photocopies of the identity cards of the   officials Mohan Lal Sharma, B.K. Ghai and K.R. Kannan here. Neither the government nor the militants made any mention of Hans Raj, branch manager of Allahabad Bank, and another person who were reportedly kidnapped along with the MES officials.

Meanwhile four persons, including an office of the paramilitary forces, were killed and 30 injured while 30 militants were arrested in the Valley.

Official sources said that an inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed and a constable injured when militants hurled grenades and fired at a patrol party here. Another jawan was injured in an attack by militants at New Fateh Kadal, the sources added.

The police said that a militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces during a combat operation at Barsoo in Pulwama district. One person was killed and nine others injured when militants threw a crude bomb and opened fire at a security patrol at Kulgam bus stand in South Kashmir. Militants also shot dead Merajuddin of Durhama Wagoera in his village. Four persons were injured when a bomb exploded in the house of Mohammad Sultan of Doonipora in Anantnag district.

The Army and para-military forces carried out cordon and search operations at many places in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. An official spokesman said that 26 militants were apprehended 190f them from Anchabal in South Kashmir. The security forces also recovered five kg of explosives.

Hundreds of people were reportedly rounded up during these operations. They were being screened, police sources said. A civilian, Ghulam Rasool Yatoo, has lodged a complaint with the police that the search party decamped with Rs 20,000 from his house. After the operations eroded, a large number of people, including women and children, too out a procession from Scinda and adjoining localities unknown here,

Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 21, 1992