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Militants strike at 27 places in J&K

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR OCT. 1. Stepping up their anti-election activity, militants struck at 27 places across Jammu and Kashmir since Monday evening. In Jammu's Kathua district, eight civilians were killed, 14 injured and late today evening seven Border Security Force personnel lost their lives in a land mine blast. One officer was among 16 BSF personnel injured in other attacks.

Soon after polling ended in the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, militants detonated a powerful landmine in Ladermad village near Awantipora on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, blowing up the BSF vehicle. Six jawans of the 8th battalion died on the spot while three were seriously injured. Reinforcements were rushed to the area and a cordon and search operation launched.

A deputy commandant of the BSF, I.K. Yadav, was seriously injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in a polling booth at Litter in Pulwama district this morning. Polling was disrupted for some time. As polling started at the Seemo booth in Tral, militants opened fire, injuring four BSF personnel. Two BSF jawans were injured in a mine blast at the Awantipora booth. Two more BSF jawans were seriously injured in an explosion at Larnoo Kokernag. Militants opened fire at Machhama, Medoora, Bhatnoor, Wagad, Paner, Shikargah, Lam and Kehleel to scare away the voters.

A BSF jawan and a woman were injured when militants fired rifle grenades at a polling booth in Pinglish Tral. Two BSF jawans were injured when militants hurled grenades at a booth in Shangus segment. At Adoora Kulgam, two security force personnel were injured when militants attacked a booth. A woman was injured in a grenade attack at Bujbehara. At Arigo Kulgam, a BSF jawan and a polling officer were injured. A BSF jawan was killed in Jerot Udhampur.

The Hizbul Mujahideen supreme commander, Saiful Islam, in a statement claimed responsibility for 19 attacks, giving details of each one. He complimented the people of Kashmir for "boycotting" the elections.

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• Militants strike at 27 places in J&K
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