ASI martyred, 1 militant killed in twin encounters

Pulwama, Sep 24: A militant and a CRPF officer were killed in two separate incidents in Kashmir on Thursday morning, officials said.
A militant was killed in an encounter that erupted this morning at Machoma Bhagandar Tral in Pulwama district in Kashmir.
The gunfight erupted when a joint team of security forces launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
“As the forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them which was retaliated, triggering an encounter. In the encounter so far one militant has been killed,” a police official said, adding the operation is still underway.
Meanwhile, an Assistant Sub Inspector, Badole Naresh Umrao, 49, of CRPF was critically injured in a militant attack in Kashmir's Budgam district who later succumbed to his injuries.
A CRPF officer said motorcycle-borne militants fired upon the CRPF at Badipora, Chadoora, at around 7.45 pm Budgam, wounding the ASI. “He sustained bullet injuries and was evacuated to hospital,” he added. Soon after the shooting, forces cordoned off the area to trace the attackers. On Wednesday evening, a Block Development Council chairman, Bhupinder Singh, was shot dead by militants at his native village in Khag in Budgam district.