Militants fire at police picket, flee after retaliation

Militants today fired at a police picket in south Kashmir's Kulgam district but fled after retaliation by the cops.
The ultras targeted the picket at Gofabal in Kulgam, 75 kms from here, at around 6.00 pm, a police official said.
He said the cops returned the firing, forcing the militants to flee from the place.
No casualties were reported in the incident.
Meanwhile, alert cops detected a suspicious container placed by the roadside at busy Batamaloo area of Srinagar this evening, the official said.
He said a bomb disposal squad was pressed into service and the container, believed to be an IED, was removed to an isolated place at Tengpora and destroyed through a controlled explosion.

The incidents come a day ahead of the Republic Day celebrations as security across the valley has been beefed up to prevent militants from carrying out any subversive activities.