Major among 30 killed
4 of family shot; 4 die in attack on bus
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 10 — At least 26 persons, including 13 militants, were killed and 11 injured in separate incidents of militancy across the valley since yesterday.

Twelve militants and two soldiers were killed in a fierce encounter at Jagarpora in Kupwara district of North Kashmir today. The identity of the militants was yet to be ascertained. Capt Tarun Kumar and a jawan, of 4RR were also killed. Another jawan was injured.

A defence spokesman said the encounter started last evening. Till reports last came, the encounter was still on.

The police said that militants killed four members of a family in Kurhama village of Ganderbal area near here, when they intruded into the house of Sainik School teacher Ghulam Rasool. The militants fired indiscriminately.

Those killed were identified as Naseema, Bashir Ahmad Rather, a child as well as the teacher. Woman, Shagufta, was injured.

The APHC chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, alleged that all three members of the family were killed by the security forces.

Four pedestrians were killed and seven injured when militants hurled a grenade on a mini bus at Bona Dyalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag this afternoon. A police spokesman said the grenade was hurled on the mini bus (No: 9503 JK-03) at about 12.30 p.m. Those injured have been shifted to hospital.

Two militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the joint group of police and security forces at Koil, Tral in Pulwama district. They have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad and Muzaffar Ahmad, both militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the police said. Three securitymen were injured in the encounter.

However, the APHC chairman told a press conference here this afternoon that the two had been picked up from their residences in Rajbagh area of Srinagar city earlier.

Giving details of the encounter, the police said a joint group of the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police and the security forces found the two moving under suspicious circumstances at Koil, Tral. They were asked to stop. But the militants opened fire, in which three securitymen were injured. In the ensuing encounter, the two militants were killed.

Major Pankaj Batra of 16 Grenadiers was killed while two jawans were injured in a landmine explosion on the road between Gumri and Drass on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. The incident took place yesterday.

Two foreign militants were killed in an encounter with the Army in Kupwara district.

Two villagers were injured in uprovoked firing by Pakistani Rangers in Ranbirsinghpura and Poonch Sectors of Jammu region since last night, adds PTI.

The Pakistani Rangers targeted civilian areas along the line of control (LoC) in Karmar in Poonch Sector in which a woman, Janab Bi, was injured.

Kamal Chand who was grazing cattle was injured near Devigarh. He was admitted to the Medical College Hospital in Jammu in a critical condition.

ITBP advance party in Chamba
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 10 — Twenty three men of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) advance party have reached Chamba to combat terrorists.

Reports say that it has taken eight days for the Centre to dispatch an advance party of the ITBP consisting of a DSP, a sub-inspector, five head constables and 16 constables. The party is reported to have reached Chamba on Saturday and was waiting for more force to arrive.

The Centre has sent only one batallion of the ITBP, whereas the state government is learnt to have sought three batallions to prevent infiltration of terrorists from the 100 km-long border of Chamba with Jammu and Kashmir.

The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, had reportedly announced on August 3 that 30 companies of the Punjab Armed Police will be rushed to Chamba. However, enquiries indicate that not a single constable of the PAP has so far reached there.

There wasn't any information regarding the Centre sending any batallion of the CRPF for deployment in the border areas.

The Union Home Secretary, Mr B.P. Singh, and the CRPF Director-General Mr M.N. Sabharwal, flew to Chamba immediately after the killings and assessed the requirement of security forces on August 4.

Political parties were trying to exploit the issue that Mr Advani had not visited the site of massacre in Chamba as he had done for such cases, in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is also being said the amount of Rs 1 crore sanctioned by the Centre for modernising the police force in Himachal Pradesh was insufficient to even acquire a couple of sophisticated arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, six persons taken hostage by militants after the Chamba massacre have been identified, the police said.

They are chowkidar of the forest rest house at Satrundi, Jai Ram, chowkidar of forest rest house at Pongy, Dewan Chand, and his son Bhim Singh, Kehar Singh of Dhawas in Pongy tehsil, Man Singh of the same village and Alam Ram, the police said.

The militants had taken nine persons hostage but released three Muslims before taking the remaining six to an unidentified place, the police said.

Six companies of the Himachal Pradesh Armed Police had been deployed, while 28 police check posts had been set up in the area bordering Doda district, they added.