Man shot dead in Shopian

Srinagar, Mar 13: A 25-year-old man who was shot dead by suspected militants at Pingleena village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday afternoon.
Showkat Naik son of Yousuf Naik was shot at by masked gunmen outside his home at Naik Mohalla in Pingleena village.
A police officer said that the Showkat was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.
Soon after the incident a joint team of army and SOG launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area to nab the assailants.
Naik was recruited as a soldier in Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI, however, Army said he had left the service during his training.
An army spokesman said Naik had not taken oath as a soldier even as he was enrolled on 15 Jan 2018 in Territorial Army.
“He went to JAKLI Regimental Center on 21 Mar 2018. Individual went on three days leave on 14 September 18 and never returned,” the spokesman said, adding Naik was “declared deserter on 17 September 2018.”
“Technically, after being declared deserter during training, he is a civilian,” the spokesman said.

Militant hideout busted in Kulgam, one arrested
Monitor News Bureau
Srinagar, Mar 13: One person was arrested and arms and ammunition, including grenades, were seized by the government forces from a militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said Wednesday.
“On credible input, a joint party of police and other forces busted a hideout in a residential house at Kulgam district’s Yaripora area, and recovered arms and ammunition, including grenades and live rounds, last night,” a police spokesman said here.
Mohammad Ayoub Rather, a resident of Yaripora, was arrested, he said.
Police have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated, the spokesman said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)