3 militants killed, 5 security men injured in J&K gunfight
Srinagar, June 20 : Three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were killed and five security men injured in a gunfight in Tral area of Pulwama district, police said.
The gunfight had started on Tuesday and ended late last evening.
The police have confirmed that all the three JeM militants hiding in Nazneenpora village of Tral area have been killed by the security forces.
"The slain militants include one Pakistan national and two locals.
"Five security personnel including on CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawan and four army soldiers have been injured in this encounter," the police said.
Following specific information about three militants hiding in Nazneenpora village of Tral area, troops of Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu & Kashmir Police surrounded the village.
As the security forces tightened the cordon around hiding militants, they fired at the security forces triggering a gunfight that ended with the killing of the three JeM militants.
This was the first anti-militancy operation in J&K after the Bharatiya Janata party withdrew support from the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
The state has been placed under Governor's rule which as per the J&K constitution can last for three months.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
