M A I N   N E W S

Firing along LoC; Kargil tense
Indian jawan, 6 Pak soldiers killed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 20
Pakistani and Indian soldiers today exchanged heavy fire in Balnoi border area in Mendhar in Poonch district in which six Pakistani soldiers and an Indian jawan were killed.

Official sources said an Indian patrol party along the LoC came under heavy fire. One soldier was killed and two were injured.

The sources said the Indian troops retaliated and at least six Pakistani soldiers were killed and an equal number wounded. The sources said it was not known whether those killed across the LoC were militants because all were in uniform.

The exchange of fire lasted over 40 minutes. The Pakistani soldiers used air defence guns, MMG, LMG and grenade rifles to hit Indian border posts. More than 10,000 rounds were fired from small weapons.

The Pakistani guns fell silent when the Indian troops retaliated with heavy fire using long-range guns and MMGs. Additional companies of troops have been sent to the spot to foil any mischief.

A report from Srinagar said that tension gripped Kargil area in Ladakh following unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistani troops from across the border this afternoon. The unprovoked firing led to an exchange of cross-border shelling in the Kargil Sector, reports said.

A defence spokesman told TNS that at least six shells from across the border fell in the Kargil Sector at around 1 p.m. today. More shells were fired later in the day. However, there was no report of any damage or casualty.

The shells were fired in Kargil town, Chhanigund and Kaksar areas near the district headquarters. The incidents created panic among the town populace. A large number moved to safer places in the nearby Sanku valley. It is here that most migrants from Kargil and Dras areas stayed during the two-month 1999 Kargil conflict.

Today’s incident takes place merely three days after the return of Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf from the Agra summit. The borders between India and Pakistan had remained calm for the past seven months with the announcement of the unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir which began in November last.

Meanwhile, at least 10 militants and a renegade were killed in separate incidents of violence in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Munasgam (Tutmarigali) in Handwara area of Kupwara district, the police here said. Three rifles, nine magazines, 150 rounds and a wireless set were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Two unidentified militants were killed at Raitgole Karnah in Kupwara district yesterday. A rifle, two magazines, 37 rounds, a UBGL with four rounds, a 60 mm mortar, a pistol with four rounds, 90 Pika rounds and four hand grenades were recovered from the slain militants.

Two unidentified foreign militants were killed in an encounter with the SOG, Baramula, and the Army at Naik Bagh, Natipora, on the outskirts of Srinagar city yesterday. Two rifles, 10 magazines, 350 rounds, seven hand grenades and two pouches were recovered from the site of the encounter. The police recovered a live hand grenade near the encounter site.

In another encounter at Ratnipora village, Tangmarg, two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the Army today. The house of Ghulam Mohammad Mir, where the militants were hiding, was damaged in the exchange of fire.

A joint operations group of the SOG of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army killed an unidentified militant in Sindhu forests in Kupwara district last night. A rifle, four magazines, 90 rounds and a hand grenade were recovered from the site of the encounter.

A former militant, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, was killed by unidentified militants at Shopian in Pulwama district of south Kashmir yesterday.

The security forces detected an IED in the main market of Bandipore in Baramula district today. The IED was defused by a bomb disposal squad, without causing any harm.

A self-styled group commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Asif Ahmad Dar, alias Shabir, was apprehended today. 

Pak to free 25 Indian civilian prisoners

Islamabad, July 20
Reciprocating Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s gesture to release all Pakistani civilian prisoners, President Pervez Musharraf has ordered the release of 25 Indian civilian prisoners, now lodged in various jails in the country.

The President directed the Interior Ministry officials to put before him the cases of 25 Indian prisoners for remission of their jail sentences so that their release order could be issued immediately, official sources said.

The Interior Ministry officials are actively involved in preparing the list of the Indian prisoners, who have less than one year jail term to serve. There are 171 Indians in Pakistani jails facing criminal charges in various cases and sentenced to imprisonment between one and seven years.

However, the Pakistan Government has yet to take a decision on the remaining 146 prisoners. It is learnt that their cases may be decided in due course of time. The officials feel that an improvement in the bilateral relations would facilitate their release.

As a confidence-building measure ahead of the Agra summit, Mr Vajpayee had ordered the release of all 215 Pakistani civilian prisoners. UNI