M A I N   N E W S

Four infiltrators shot dead
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 7
Troops eliminated four hardcore infiltrators who were pushed into the Bhimber Gali area of Rajouri last night for disrupting the Assembly poll.

When the troops, guarding the LoC, spotted a movement on the border, they opened fire in which four Pakistani militants belonging to the Hizb Islami, were killed on the spot.

According to Brig K.V. Laltora, these infiltrators had been pushed from across the Doria Pakistan post.

Seven assault rifles, scores of grenades, IEDs and large quantities of ammunition and explosives were seized from the slain militants.

The Army officer said that their plan was to plant IEDs near the polling stations, crowded places and bus stands which could result in large-scale killing, thereby generating a scare.

He said this was one of the several groups that the Pakistani authorities were preparing to push into Jammu and Kashmir for disrupting the poll.

SRINAGAR (PTI): Four persons, including two special police officers (SPOs), were injured when militants hurled a grenade on a foot patrol in Anantnag district early on Saturday, official sources said.

The explosion occurred around 11.30 a.m. in Kulgam.

2 Hizbul men surrender

Two masked suspected militants are paraded for the media in Jammu on Saturday. — Reuters photo

Jammu, September 7
Two hardcore Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants, including the outfit’s area commander surrendered to the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities here this afternoon.

The two militants who laid down arms before Dileep Trivedi, Inspector-General of the BSF, Jammu Range were Hussain Sohail alias Patwari and his accomplice Abdul Latif alias Fayadi. Both militants operated in the Gool area of Udhampur district for the past six years are local residents. Addressing newsmen Mr Trivedi said the militants were forced into militancy in 1990 by HM cadres and smuggled to Pakistan through the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. UNI

30 feared dead as bus falls into river
Our Correspondent

Kulu, September 7
Thirty persons, including 20 women and five children, were feared dead when a bus — HP-34 3139 — rolled down into the Parvati river near Barsheini, about 45 km from here, this evening. The police, however, could not confirm the number of those killed as there was no mode of communication form the sight of the accident.

The in charge of the Manikaran police post told this correspondent on the telephone that due to the hilly terrain even wireless communication was not possible.

It was learnt that members of the Mahila Madal of Bhutti village, near Kulu, had gone on a tour to Khir Ganga in two buses and on their way back, one of the buses rolled down into the Parvati. The cause of the accident could not be known.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.R. Thakur, the Subdivisonal Magistrate and the Deputy Superintendent of Police went to the sport to supervise rescue operations. Rescue work was badly hampered due to torrential rain. As many as 16 persons, including 12 women, had reportedly been rescued till the filing of this report.