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Thursday,
January 23, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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4 militants, civilian killed in valley Heavy firing by
Pak troops
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Mufti woos movie world to better
economy Demolitions: strike hits life in
Srinagar J&K Govt has failed on security front:
BJP Ex-JKLF leader joins Gandroo
group Jamaat-e-Islami for Geelani’s release Stir over ‘custodial killing’ Asia’s biggest aquarium nears
completion Clashes lead to
college closure
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4 militants, civilian killed in valley Srinagar, January 22 An official spokesman said that an encounter took place at Hingipora Kapran in south Kashmir district of Anantnag in which one militant of the
Harkat-Ul-Jehad-Islami (HUJI) was killed. One AK rifle, four magazines, 100 cartridges and one wireless set were recovered. The encounter followed after militants hiding there attacked a search party, he said. In another encounter, two militants were killed at Bandipora in the northern district of Baramula last evening. Two AK rifles, four magazines, 180 cartridges, four grenades and two wireless set were recovered from the slain militants. Body of former militant Mohammad Abdullah was recovered from Ganderbal by the Army today. An encounter took place between militants and security forces at Gujar Basti Awil in Anantnag district last evening in which civilian Mohammad Shafi Gorsi was killed, the spokesman said, adding the militants escaped. However, residents of the area took to streets, alleging that Gorsi was killed in a ‘fake’ encounter. The police today recovered one UBGL and a RPG with booster at Dooniwari in Kupwara district. In a joint operation at Nadihal Panzalla village, the Special Operation Group of J and K Police and security forces recovered a single bore gun, one UBGL and four grenades from the house of Mohammad Sultan last night. The killed HUJI militant, was identified as Mohammad Ismail Khan. In another operation in the district, Afroza was arrested from her house at Sirigufwara by the Army last night, the sources said, adding the girl was held for her alleged links with the
Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfit and was handed over to the police for questioning. Besides, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Nazir Ahmad Wani was arrested by the Army during search operations at Khira village in the district and a wireless set was recovered from him, the sources said. Security forces also busted a militant hideout in Handwara forests in border district of Kupwara early today which led to the recovery of 13 grenades, 11 detonators and two wireless
anteena’s, the sources added. JAMMU: Four persons, including two ultras, were killed in separate militancy-related incidents in Doda district of Jammu division, a police spokesman said today. The ultras, identified as Nvnazil and Saidulla Manjoor of
LeT, were killed in an encounter at Renota village last evening, he said here. Two AK rifles, four magazines, 55 cartridges, two hand grenades and one radio-set were recovered from the encounter site. Unidentified ultras had kidnapped Meran Begum of Sadgi village in Chatroo area of Doda district on the night of January 20 and 21. Her body was found near the village yesterday, the spokesman
said. Nika Gujjar, hailing from Sumber Gali area of Ramban tehsil in the same district, was shot dead by ultras and the body recovered yesterday, he said adding the same group of militants who had earlier kidnapped and killed two members of Village Defence Committee in the same area, were behind the killing. Security forces recovered 20 kg of RDX and other arms and ammunition besides arresting a militant at Bazipora in Baramula district today. An official spokesman said that security forces on a tip-off raided a militant hideout at Bazipora and arrested a militant. He said later, the militant took security forces to another hideout where 20 kg of RDX, seven detonators, one AK
rilfe, two magzines and 60 rounds were recovered. The RDX was enough to make six explosive devices. The spokesman said while they were returning after making the recovery an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in the jugle in which the said militant died and three jawans sustained received injuries. Jammu, January 22 The five were taken into custody by the BSF near Nursery border outpost when they were trying to cross over to Pakistan last evening, he said. They were handed over to the police after preliminary interrogation the spokesman said.
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Heavy firing by Pak troops Jammu, January 22 “Pakistani troops from across the International Border resorted to heavy firing with light and medium-machine guns on the Nikowal BOP when our jawans were trying to retrieve a damaged excavator there last evening,” he said. Pakistani troops fired more than 5,000 rounds, forcing Indian troops to retaliate effectively, the spokesman said, adding that the excavator was retrieved during the exchange of fire which continued till this morning. “There was no casualty or damage on our side. Any casualty on the other side could not be ascertained,” he said. The excavator, which was pressed for digging earth for the ongoing fencing work in the area, was damaged in the firing from across the border on the night of January 20, he said.
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Mufti woos movie world to better
economy Jammu, January 22 Efforts of the previous National Conference government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah to attract film makers failed though he had offered handsome cash prize and police protection to the film units visiting the valley. The Mufti during his visit to Mumbai met some noted producers and film personalities last evening and tried to convince them for visiting the valley for improving economy of the people hit by terrorism. Shabana Azami, Vidhu Vinod Chopra (producer of Mission Kashmir), Anupam Kher, Yash Chopra, N.A. Sippy and lyricist Javed Akhtar participated in the meeting. Several other actors and film financiers also met the Chief Minister. Vidhu Vinod Chopra said that film industry too had a role in establishing peace in Kashmir and offered to visit valley for shooting films but sought removal of bureaucratic hurdles and red-tapism in the grant of permission for shooting films. |
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Demolitions: strike hits life in
Srinagar Srinagar, January 22 Shops and other business establishments in most parts of Srinagar were closed, while the voluntary demolition of illegal dwellings in many areas continued. Transport services, however, remained normal and attendance in government offices was normal. In a related development, the Custodian, Evacuee property, has urged the authorities of the municipality and the SDA not to demolish the structures belonging to the custodian in various areas of the city without prior information. That authority has a considerable number of houses and shops leased out to tenants. Some of the affected shopkeepers, particularly in the Maisuma area near Lal Chowk, who possess proper documents of the Custodian have been knocking at the door of the three agencies urging them to plan. The Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, has said the drive launched by the two agencies would continue. Most people were happy with the government’s move, he claimed. He warned that action would be taken against those creating hurdles in the process. In this connection he referred to the damage to an autorickshaw of the municipality and injuries to employees by some miscreants opposing the move in the Maisuma and Pampore areas recently. A demolition drive has also been launched in other major towns of the valley. At least 150 encroachments were demolished in Sopore in Baramulla district and Kulgam in Anantnag district yesterday. |
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J&K Govt has failed on security front: BJP Jammu, January 22 The situation in the Jammu division, especially in the Muslim dominated districts of Rajouri and Poonch, was never as “dangerous and awful as it has been since November 2, 2002, when protagonists of the ‘healing touch’, with the full backing of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi”, formed government in the state, Pradesh BJP spokesman Hari Om said in a statement here. He said the BJP was of the view that Pakistan-sponsored terrorists would take full advantage of this policy of ‘healing touch’ and unleash a reign of terror all over the state to further their agenda and harass the pro-India and liberal minded elements in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP spokesman said the validity of the party’s apprehensions was evident “from the manner in which the terrorists have started perpetrating after November 2 all sorts of barbarities on the civil society with a view to Talibanising the otherwise forward-looking and progressive Muslim society in the border areas” and creating an atmosphere in which all non-Muslims start considering it unsafe to stay in Rajouri and Poonch districts. The BJP spokesman said the party was all the more worried over the manner in which terrorists were forcing school and college-going girls to wear burqas, asking the police women to give up their jobs and imposing a diktat that required all Muslim girls to get married by the age of 15. “These terrorists have, in the name of Islam, brutally beheaded and butchered a number of innocent Muslim girls who dared defy their diktat”, he said. The killing of two Village Defence Committee (VDC) members and an innocent woman in Doda district yesterday and several other militancy-related incidents only showed the utter failure of the ruling Congress and the PDP in providing security to the people of the state, he said adding that the BJP urged the state government to realise the gravity of the situation and crush terrorism ruthlessly.
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Ex-JKLF leader joins Gandroo group Srinagar, January 22 Mohammad Altaf alias “Launcher” joined Gandroo’s group following his release recently, saying “I had gone to see Malik to resolve differences between him and Gandroo. “But Malik could not convince me as he could not answer some of the questions I asked. So, I have decided to join Gandroo’s group along with my supporters in principle”, Altaf told reporters here. He said his party would soon come out with a white paper to “expose everybody guilty of wrongdoing”. Gandroo, who was released from a state jail in November last year, had separated from the JKLF group led by Yaseen Malik and floated his own version of the organisation citing ideological differences with the Malik-led group. Altaf was a senior leader of the JKLF in early days before he was arrested and his latest move would definitely cause a dent in Yaseen group’s support at the grass-root level.
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Jamaat-e-Islami for Geelani’s release Srinagar, January 22 “The JeT urge upon those at the helm in the state to respect ‘human rights’ and immediately release Geelani and other detainees jailed on the basis of policy of political vendetta”, spokesman of Jamaat, Zahid Ali, said in a statement here today. Terming Mr Geelani’s confinement in a solitary cell as an inhuman act, the Jamaat registered its protest against what it called criminal silence of the authorities for not shifting Geelani to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences despite the advice of the doctors and medical experts.
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Stir over ‘custodial killing’ Srinagar, January 22 The people marched towards the local police station alleging that Mohammad Abdullah Chichi was killed by security forces while he was in their custody and his body blown to pieces. However, defence sources said the man was a top militant of Tehreek-e-Jehad-i-Islami and had been arrested from his house in Bazipora yesterday. He was leading the security forces to a hideout to effect some recovery, but as he entered the place, an IED planted inside went off, killing him instantly. They said no jawan was injured in the explosion. The protesters dispersed following an assurance by the police that the incident would be looked into.
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Asia’s biggest aquarium nears completion Jammu, January 22 Mr Sofi, who visited the aquarium site to take stock of the ongoing work, said the first phase of the underground aquarium would be opened to the public in April. The centre was under construction at an estimated cost of Rs 2.08 crore, out of which Rs 1.05 crore had already been spent on the project, Mr Sofi said. The first phase of the project would comprise a museum in which different types of aquatic life will be displayed and a well-equipped laboratory. The second phase would comprise aquariums (in caves), an oceanarium and a toy shop, Mr Sofi said. The oceanarium, proposed to be about 60 ft long, would be constructed on the Singapore pattern, he said.
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Clashes lead to
college closure Jammu, January 22 The MIET college was closed for the day following yesterday’s clashes which erupted when a student of computer engineering complained to her friends that she was teased by a boy belonging to another community on the college campus.
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