M A I N   N E W S

Another attack on Army camp
Two soldiers, one militant killed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 5
In a bid to demoralise the security forces and sabotage the peace process, militants carried out yet another rocket attack on an Army camp at Seri Khwaja near Surankot in Poonch district today.

Two soldiers and a militant were killed and eight jawans wounded. Reports said as the rocket exploded in the camp, the troops opened fire, killing a militant.

The Army authorities denied reports that it was a “fidayeen”attack as the “four attackers did not come close to the camp or storm it.”

Today’s attack is the fifth in a row on security forces during the past one week. In these attacks, 16 policemen have been killed — 14 in Rajouri and two near Basholi in Katgua district. The Army has lost seven men, including a Colonel.

Government agencies confirmed reports that two main groups of foreign mercenaries Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jashe-e-Mohammad had received more than 100 “fidayeen” in their ranks who had been indoctrinated and trained in camps organised by the ISI.

Besides ISI officials, experts from the Pakistani Army had been engaged in imparting training at these camps.

The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba has claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman of the outfit called up a news organisation here to say that one of its militants had been killed in the attack.

At least four persons and three militants were killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday, while the security forces averted a major tragedy with the timely detection of an IED in Baramula district.

Two foreign militants, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Sogam area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir today, the police said.

A militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad, identified as Navid Ashraf, alias Navid Khan, was killed in an encounter with a joint patrol party of the SOG and the security forces at Gujjar Pathri in Kupwara district yesterday. A rifle, three magazines, four grenades and 71 rounds were recovered from the site of the encounter.

A five-year-old child was killed when militants opened fire at Chithi Bandy in Bandipore area of Baramula district. The police have started investigations into the firing on civilians in the area.

The BSF detected a landmine planted by suspected militants at Tappar, Pattan, Baramula district today.

Unidentified militants shot at and injured two persons, Khurshid Bhat and Mudassir Wani, in Tarigam village in Kulgam area of Anantnag district last night. They have been admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, 10 youths who were apprehended by the Army recently were sent back to their parents in Kupwara today. These youths were apprehended on February 10 while going across for training to Pakistan.