M A I N   N E W S

8 militants killed, 3 nabbed

SRINAGAR, Oct 2 (UNI) —Eight militants, most of them foreigners, were among nine persons killed and five security personnel injured while the security forces nabbed three militants and seized RDX and other automatic weapons in the state during the past 24 hours.

Business activities in Maisuma, Budshah chowk and other adjoining areas in the nerve centre Srinagar remained paralysed today in protest against the arrest of three youths by security forces last night.

All shops and business establishments remained closed. However, transport was plying as usual.

An official spokesman said at least five security personnel were injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling was blown up by militants by a powerful improvised explosive device on the Tumlahal-Lassipora road in South Kashmir district of Pulwama last evening.

A pro-Pakistani militant outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Militants attacked a security force camp at Nopachi with automatic weapons last evening. Security forces also returned the fire but there were no reports of any casualties.

An encounter took place between militants and security forces during a search operation at Naka Majari today.

Three militants and a civilian were killed. The operation was still going on when reports last came in.

Security forces gunned down one militant each at Khara Patheri and Kandi Gali last evening. Three AK rifles, eight magazines, 13 grenades, one grenade launcher, one wireless set, Pak currency worth Rs 837 and Indian currency worth Rs 4000 were seized from the slain militants.

He said a security force patrol party killed two militants in the forest area of Lolab in the frontier district of Kupwara this morning. Two AK rifles were seized from near the site.

A foreign militant was killed by the Jammu and Kashmir police special operation group at the Bamo post last evening. One AK rifle, three magazines and one grenade were seized from the slain militant.

Militants abducted Mohammad Hussain from his house last night.

Security forces arrested three militants, including two Pakistanis and recovered two AK rifles, 32 pistols, 64 loaded magazines, two grenades, 10 detonators, 7 kg of RDX, five metres of cordex wire and Rs 5 lakh in the state during overnight operations.

JAMMU (PTI): Five militants were among the six persons killed in Rajouri, Poonch and Doda districts, while security forces averted a major tragedy by detecting an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Surankote area of Jammu division since yesterday, defence sources said here today.

Troops seized and neutralised 5 kg of IED along with nine remote control devices and 20 hand grenades planted along the boundary wall of Dhundak Primary School near Surankote in Poonch District last evening, the sources said.

They said a joint team of the Army and police shot dead two militants in Lukriti and Draman forests in Rajouri district after a brief encounter, in which one jawan was injured.

More Lashkar men sent to J&K

KARACHI, Oct 2 (Reuters) — Pakistan-based guerrilla group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, said today that it had doubled the number of fighters battling the Indian forces in Kashmir this year.

“The Lashkar-e-Toiba” has sent two time more Mujahideen into Kashmir than those last year,” the group’s chief, Mr Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, said in a statement.

Mr Saeed, who, the statement said, was in Karachi to meet supporters, said the number of fighters had increased “despite the Indian Army efforts to plant landmines along the Line of Control.”

“Several Mujahideen (Islamic fighters) who feel victim to such mines were either injured or martyred, but despite that, the Laskhar-e-Toiba had launched two times more Mujahideen in Kashmir,” the statement said.

Mr Saeed criticised the USA for supporting India in the fight against militancy in the region and said any US attempt to declare his organisation a terrorist group would make no difference.

“There is an expectation that America might take some extreme step, but that will not affect the holy war (in Kashmir),” he said.