Two soldiers, including Lt. Col. M. S. Kadam were killed and four others wounded in a gun battle with the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists at Chathura in Baramulla district on March 16. The encounter took place when the LeT terrorists opened fire on the security forces during a search operation. In the ensuing encounter, the Kashmir valley chief of the LeT Halif Naasir was also gunned down. Naasir was the most wanted terrorist in Baramulla, Bandipore and Kupwara districts and his killing was a major achievement for security forces, and an enormous setback for terrorists, particularly those of LeT1.

Meanwhile, terrorists belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) made an abortive bid to blow up a flyover in Srinagar on March 19 by exploding an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The IED was kept beneath an observation post on the flyover which was being manned by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). One person was killed and 16 others sustained injuries. In another incident during the week, a combined team of police and Army gunned down four LeT terrorists in a fierce encounter in Doda district2.

• 1. “Lt Col among 2 soldiers killed in fierce gunbattle, Lashkar's Kashmir chief killed”, Daily Excelsior, March 17, 2008, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/08mar17/news.htm#1
• 2. “One killed, 16 injured in blast on flyover”, Daily Excelsior, March 20, 2008, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/08mar20/news.htm#3