2 JeM men held in midnight J&K raids

Safeer Ahmad Bhat of Janbazpora and Farhaan Fayaz Liloo of Jamia Mohalla were arrested in a joint midnight raid by the SOG (Special Operation Group) Baramulla, 52 RR and CRPF.

Reportedly, the two terrorists were involved in the August 16 attack on Army/police convoy at Khwajabagh, Baramulla that killed two army jawans and one policeman.

The two terrorists were operating in Baramulla town and adjacent areas and their module was headed by a Pakistani terrorist operating under the code name Khalid.

One AK series rifle, a pistol and other arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession. 

Meanwhile, escalating cross border firing, Pakistani Rangers overnight pounded border hamlets and outposts with mortar shells and opened fire from automatic weapons in R S Pura sector of Jammu district. 

“There has been heavy firing and mortar shelling along the IB in R S Pura belt during the night”, Inspector General of BSF, D K Upadhyay said on Saturday. The fresh firing and shelling comes after Pakistani Rangers violated the ceasefire six times on Friday. 

Seven Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist were killed and three others seriously injured in retaliatory firing by BSF troops along the International Border (IB). 

The IG said the areas which came under fire along the IB include Karotana Khurd and Abdullian. “We have asked the authorities to ensure safety of the people as firing and shelling exchanges have increased. We do not want civilians to suffer”, the IG said.

He said Pakistani Rangers tried to snipe at a jawan on a Observation tower but he jumped from it. The jawan injured his feet in the process.

Due to firing and shelling in the border areas, over 1000 people living close to the IB in Hiranagar and other places have migrated to safety.

“Apart from firing, Pakistani Rangers fired 60 and 81 mm mortar bomb shells intermittently from 11 pm and it continued till early morning in Bidipur and Karotana in Suchetgarh sub-sector”, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh said.

He said that due to firing and shelling four cattle were killed.

In another incident, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday arrested the elder son of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and stopped his younger son from entering the octogenarian leader’s residence, virtually cutting him off from all family contact, sources said. 

Naim Geelani, a doctor at a government hospital in Srinagar, was arrested at around 10 am when he was on his way to the Hyderpora residence of the hardline Hurriyat leader. 

“He was not allowed inside the house and police arrested him,” a family source added.