3 militants killed in valley
SRINAGAR, Sept 9 — Four persons, including three Pakistani mercenaries, were killed while security forces launched a massive operation to flush out militants in North and South Kashmir since last evening.Official sources said the security forces gunned down three mercenaries in an encounter at Tumari Gali Numbal in Kupwara in North Kashmir last evening.

Mehbooba for talks with J&K people
NEW DELHI, Sept 9 — Congress MLA Mehbooba Mufti today suggested the Centre should hold talks with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the issue.

Cable TV suspends business
SRINAGAR, Sept 9 — Cable television operators in Srinagar suspended operations today following threats from unidentified persons to stop their business.

Bhim Singh's plea to Centre
JAMMU, Sept 9 — National Panthers Party President Bhim Singh today said that escalation in militancy in the Jammu region was a cause of concern.

3 militants killed in valley
Tribune News Service and PTI

SRINAGAR, Sept 9 — Four persons, including three Pakistani mercenaries, were killed while security forces launched a massive operation to flush out militants in North and South Kashmir since last evening.

Official sources said the security forces gunned down three mercenaries in an encounter at Tumari Gali Numbal in Kupwara in North Kashmir last evening.

The encounter ensued when the troops sealed the village to flush out hiding militants. A huge quantity of arms and explosives, including three AK assault rifles, two grenade launchers, 10 kg of explosives, 16 improvised explosive devices, 16 remote-controlled devices, besides some ammunition and Pak currency were recovered from the slain militants, the sources said.

An encounter was also reported between the security forces and the militants at Migri-Diver forests in the Lalpora area yesterday. The gunbattle started yesterday soon after the forces laid a siege to the village. The exchange of fire lasted the whole day, the sources said.

The sources said a body was picked up by the police from Seer-Kanli-Gund in Anantnag district of South Kashmir today.

Meanwhile, Pakistani troops continued shelling on Indian villages in the Kargil sector for the second successive day today, damaging four houses and forcing fresh migration in the frontier region of Ladakh.

Indian troops repulsed the attack, but there was no report of casualty, official sources said.

The sources said Pakistani troops targeted Khurl, Khurbu and Halqa Bahadur villages, 6 km from Kargil town, towards Drass since 12 a.m. yesterday.

More than 50 shells landed in the villages and caused fire in four abandoned houses, the sources said.

Fresh skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops in the sector had forced 50 more families from Khurbu village to leave their homes in panic. Most of the migrants had taken shelter in the Drass area, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Roads and Buildings, Qamar Ali Akhoon has condemned the unprovoked and continuous firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Kargil district which has resulted in the killing of several persons, including women and children, besides a huge loss of property and crops.

Cable TV suspends business

SRINAGAR, Sept 9 (PTI) — Cable television operators in Srinagar suspended operations today following threats from unidentified persons to stop their business.

"We have collectively decided to stop feeding of immoral and unethical television channels like MTV, Star Movies, Star World etc to our customers", a press release of cable network association said here today.

There have been reports of threats to cable operators in certain areas of Srinagar by unidentified persons asking them to close down their business, but no militant outfit has so far publicly asked the operators to close down business.

"We have been receiving letters from unidentified persons asking us to close down the cable networks", the release said without identifying the "persons" who wanted closure of the network.

There are at least 15 cable networks operating in Srinagar city alone.

This development came at a time when a cinema house has opened in Srinagar after remaining closed since January 1990.

The opening of the cinema hall is being viewed as a big leap towards normalcy by the state government.

Militants forced closure of cinema houses on January 1, 1990 and imposed ban on video libraries, which gradually re-surfaced after the Farooq Abdullah government took over in October 1996.

Mehbooba for talks with J&K people
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 — Congress MLA Mehbooba Mufti today suggested the Centre should hold talks with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the issue.Addressing the media here, she said despite having an elected government, the people of the state were not getting relief and there was little development.

“Till now the state government had done little politically to remove the alienation the people of Jammu and Kashmir felt,’’ she said.Ms Mehbooba said the situation in far-flung areas was not good and there was near-total absence of medical facilities even in the Chief Minister’s constituency.

She said the Centre should have a dialogue with the people of the state to find a solution to the vexed problem.Ms Mehbooba said she felt the Congress was in a better position in the state and that the party could develop as an alternative to the National Conference.

Bhim Singh's plea to Centre

JAMMU, Sept 9 (PTI) — National Panthers Party President Bhim Singh today said that escalation in militancy in the Jammu region was a cause of concern and urged the Centre to convene a meeting of the National Integration Council to arrive at a consensus to combat terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Singh, after visiting the militancy-affected Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts, told reporters that a sense of fear and insecurity prevailed among the villagers of these districts.

This sense of insecurity among the villagers has further been compounded due to failure of the state and the central governments to redress the militancy problem.

He said there was a need for coordination among various security agencies and political leaders to tackle Pakistan sponsored terrorism in the state.

Referring to refugee camps at Reasi, Chasna and Sungri in the Udhampur district he said they lacked basic amenities of food and medical assistance from the government.

Mr Singh also said militancy has forced several hundred people to leave their homes in Darhal and Budhal areas of Rajouri district and alleged the local administration had collapsed there.