M A I N   N E W S

13 militants killed

Srinagar, August 11
Thirteen militants and a soldier were among 15 persons killed in different overnight operations in the state, while the security forces scuttled yet another exfiltration bid, when they arrested six Kashmiri youths in the Uri sector.

Official sources said the security forces guarding the northern sector arrested six youths near the Line of Actual Control in the Uri sector when they were being taken to Pakistan occupied Kashmir for receiving arms training. The youth, all from different parts of Srinagar city, were later handed over to the police.

At least 50 Kashmiri youths were arrested by the security forces at different places who were recruited by militants and were being taken to PoK during the past three months.

Sources said a security force search party was fired upon by militants at Check-e-Saloosa in North Kashmir district of Baramula early this morning with automatic weapons. The security forces immediately retaliated and in the hour-long encounter two militants were killed.

The security forces gunned down two militants in the Central Kashmir district of Badgam late last night while one militants was killed at Machil and Lolab in the frontier district of Kupwara last night. A large cache of arms and ammunition was seized from the slain militants. One security jawan also lost his life in the Machil encounter.

The security forces gunned down two militants near the Line of Actual Control in the Karnah sector. One AK rifle, four magazines, four grenades and 60 rounds were seized from the slain militants.

Another militant was killed at Gagal jungle late last night, he said adding that some arms and ammunition were seized near the site of the encounter.

Militants shot dead one Mohammad Sikander Ganai at Frisal in South Kashmir district of Anantnag in the wee hours today

He said the forces killed two militants at Dardpora Banihal while one ultra each was gunned down at Ticher Nallah, Gund Banihal and Adikoot Gund. Four jawans also suffered injuries in the Adikoot encounter. UNI

Bomb blast kills 7 in Pak

Islamabad, August 11
At least seven persons were killed and eight wounded, two of them seriously, when a bomb exploded today in Gujrat in Pakistan’s Punjab province, ambulance workers and the police said.

A senior police official said three men, a woman and two children were killed by the blast, which occurred in front of a private school as it closed and children were leaving.

Gujrat, a district bordering the restive Jammu area in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir state, is located 160 km south of Islamabad. Reuters

DFP chief seeks passport
Wants to bridge gap between India, Pak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 11
The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), headed by Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, while condemning the extension of (what he called the “draconian”laws) the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the Jammu region, has decided to play its role in bridging the gap between Delhi and Islamabad by visiting Pakistan and states in India.

Mr Shah told newspersons here today that he had applied for travel documents to the Government of India so that he and his party men could visit Pakistan by the end of the month for exploring the possibility of making the proposed Islamabad summit a success.

Mr Shah said the introduction of the Armed Forces Special Powers and Disturbed Area Act in the entire state now would not resolve the turmoil. He said such laws would lead to communal divide. He said the problem could be settled through negotiations between Islamabad and Delhi with cooperation from the genuine representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

To DFP President condemned the recent massacres in Kishtwar and at the Jammu railway station and said such acts were aimed at derailing the peace process which had been initiated in Agra and at creating a wedge between people of the valley and those living in the Jammu region on communal lines.

He said the enforcement of the draconian laws had allowed the police and the paramilitary forces to “let loose a reign of terror” in the Kashmir valley in recent weeks. He alleged that innocent people were subjected to “harassment” and at times “youths were killed in custody.”

Mr Shah said such acts would further result in alienation of the people.

He hoped that Delhi would respond to his plan of acting as a bridge between India and Pakistan and allow him to visit Pakistan where he would meet a cross section of people and create a favourable atmosphere for the proposed summit and for a people-to-people interaction.