2 army soldiers hit by bullets

Baramulla: Three militants, two CRPF men, and a special police officer (SPO) were killed while two army soldiers suffered injuries in a day-long gun battle in Kreeri area of Baramulla district on Monday.
Official sources said that police and paramilitary CRPF laid a naka check point on the Kreeri-Wagoora road at about 9:15 am. Soon after, a group of militants already in nearby orchards fired on them, killing on the spot SPO Muzafar Ali Dar, son of Ali Mohammad Dar, a resident of Pattan. Two CRPF men sustained serious bullet injuries and were shifted to a nearby hospital where they succumbed.
Soon after this attack, reinforcements of CRPF, army and police rushed to the spot and started a hunt for the militants in the nearby orchards.
The sources said that an encounter later started between the militants and the government forces at some distance from where the naka had been set up.
The gun battle continued for hours and eventually three militants were killed by the government forces.
One of the slain militants was identified as Inayat Ahmad Mir, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, a resident of Andergam Pattan. He is said to have joined militant ranks last year.
Another slain militant was identified as Sajad alias Hyder, a local militant of Baramulla.
The third slain militant was identified as a Pakistani Lashkar commander named Usman who operated in north Kashmir.
The slain CRPF men were identified as Constable Lokesh Sharma and Constable Khurshid Khan of 119 Bn CRPF.
A police statement said that the search operation was conducted jointly by Baramulla Police, army’s 29RR, and CRPF.
In the evening, fresh firing was heard in the area and reportedly one more militant was killed while two army men were injured. A police statement said that two army personnel sustained gunshot injuries and were shifted to hospital where one among them is stated to be critical.
Kreeri is a remote area of Baramulla district in Kandi area between Baramulla and Tangmarg.

Mushtaq Ahamd