Four militants killed in J-K's Baramulla, Shopian districts
Srinagar, Aug 3: Four militants, including a commander of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Baramulla and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the last 36 hours, police said on Saturday.
While two militants were killed in Sopore township of Baramulla district of north Kashmir, two others were killed in Shopian district of south Kashmir in an operation which began on Friday, a police official said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Warpora area of Sopore on Saturday and two JeM militants were killed in an encounter, he said.
One of the two was identified as Umer Shahbaz Wani, a resident of Kharpora Bandipora, while another was not yet identified, the official added.
Both of them were involved in a series of terror activities, he said, adding that Wani had joined the militant ranks in June and was active within Sopore with other terror operatives of the JeM.
Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the encounter site, he said.
In another operation which began in Pandushan area of Shopian on Friday, the official said security forces killed Manzoor Bhat. He was associated with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit.
On Friday, JeM militant Zeenat ul Islam Naikoo, a resident of Memandar area of Shopian, was killed in the gunfight, the official said.
He said Naikoo, a Pakistani national, was the JeM's district commander in Shopian.
Both the militants were involved in terror crimes, including atrocities on civilians.
"Naikoo has a long history of terror crimes and several cases were registered against him including relating to attack on police station Shopian, abduction of a civilian Shakoor Ahmad, killing of four policemen in Shopian and abduction and killing of civilian Tanveer Ahmad," he said.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
