M A I N   N E W S

Naga truce to be reviewed
Swami submits report on Manipur

New Delhi, July 8
The government tonight decided to review the ceasefire agreement with NSCN(I-M) including its extension to areas beyond Nagaland.

“We shall review the ceasefire agreement, including the words “without territorial limits” presently incorporated in the agreement with NSCN (I-M) so as to ensure that all doubts about preserving the integrity of Manipur and other states of North-East are removed,” Mr Vajpayee said in an appeal to the people of Manipur to restore peace and normalcy.

Mr Vajpayee’s appeal came after a two-hour meeting with MPs and MLAs of Manipur.

The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami, Home Secretary Kamal Pande, Intelligence Bureau Director Shyamal Datta and Centre’s interlocutor K. Padmanabhaiah.

MPs and MLAs belonging to all political parties from Manipur had yesterday threatened to resign from Parliament and state Assembly if the extension of the ceasefire with NSCN (I-M) beyond the Nagaland border was not withdrawn by July 31.

Earlier, Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami, who led a Central team that visited violence-hit Manipur, submitted a report to Union Home Minister L.K Advani today.

The team returned here last night after a three-day trip to Manipur which has been marred by violence following the expansion of the Naga ceasefire beyond the borders of Nagaland.

The team elicited the opinion of a cross-section of the people in the state on issues arising out of the extension of the ceasefire ahead of a meeting with Manipuri leaders convened by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today.

The decision to send the team was taken earlier last week at a high-level meeting chaired by Mr Advani in a bid to allay apprehensions of the people of Manipur on the ceasefire issue.

Official sources said Mr Swami and Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry P.D. Shenoy held meetings with several Manipuri organisations, leaders of political parties and those from other walks of life. PTI

Captain killed in ambush

Srinagar, July 8
An Army Captain and five militants were among nine persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir where six persons were injured in separate incidents since last night, an official spokesman said today.

The Captain was killed in an ambush by the militants at Rajwar forest in Kupwara district early today.

The militants opened fire and hurled grenades on troops who had launched an operation in the forest area to flush out hiding militants, he said, adding that the militants escaped.

Lashkar-e-Toiba militants ambushed BSF vehicles at Heerpora in Pulpna district of South Kashmir today, wounding a sub-inspector and slightly damaging two vehicles, he said.

Claiming responsibility for the ambush, a Lashkar spokesman said two of its activists had inflicted “heavy casualties” on the BSF.

In another incident, two Lashkar militants and a jawan were killed and four security personnel of the SOG injured in an encounter. PTI