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Journalism of Courage
SALOORA GANDERBAL, February 25: A timely tip-off to the Army foiled the alleged plan of two Harkat-ul-Ansar militants to set explosive devices to target the convoy of Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and his son, and National Conference candidate for Srinagar, Omer Farooq, army sources said.One of the militants was killed in a bloody encounter 30 minutes before the CM8217;s cavalcade passed a kilometre away on its way to Wakoora village where the NC had organised an election rally.
8220;The militants had probably entered Sofi Mohallah of Saloora village on Monday and had prepared at least two Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs to plant on the road to be used by the CM8217;s convoy,8221; Col Deepak Malhotra, Deputy Commander of the 70 Mountain Brigade told The Indian Express.
Militants opened a hail of fire on the advancing troops injuring five jawans before jumping into a nallah at the back of the house. One of the injured jawans, Naik Urbah Datt, chased the militants into the nallah and shot the Company Commander8217; of the HUA, Husama Hassan, an Army spokesperson said.
The other militant, however, gunned down Naik Datt.
The other militant, identified later as Janed, escaped into the nearby Nambal marshes. A massive search operation in the marshes launched to trace the militant drew a blank and was called off on Tuesday evening.
The Army recovered one IED, fuse wire, detonators, one AK rifle, two magazines and 22 rounds from the house of Abdul Gaffar Sofi.
