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Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
Militants ambushed an army convoy near the old town of Baramulla in north Kashmir at about 1130 IST on Saturday. In the gun battle that ensued, at least nine persons, including two militants, a soldier and a head constable on duty nearby, were killed.
Police said that at least 30 others, including seven soldiers, were injured. Hospital sources in Baramulla said several civilians were wounded in the crossfire. The dead also included some civilians.
Local people said the army went firing all the way up to Delina village, 5km from Baramulla. Five passengers of a passing minibus were injured in the firing near Delina.
Those seriously injured have been rushed to Srinagar for treatment. The rest, about two dozen people, are undergoing treatment in Baramulla itself.
Tension gripped the town following the incident, with a mob gathering at the town hospital and shouting anti-government slogans. The demonstrators also attacked Baramulla district magistrate and the district superintendent of police, forcing their guards to fire warning shots.
The state government has announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 100,000 to the next of kin of each of those killed and Rs 5,000 to each of the injured. A spokesman said those who suffer from permanent disability from the incident would be paid Rs 75,000 as compensation.
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