Tuesday, April 1, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Al Qaida-Iraq nexus exposed 1st battle with Republican Guard

Kuwait City, March 31 American troops won an important battle against terrorism in their yesterday’s special operation in northern Iraq from where they made a huge haul of “evidence” linking Iraq with Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaida, while on the twelfth day of the Operation Iraqi Freedom today, the allies were “one tank fuel” away from the Iraqi capital as Baghdad continued to be blitzed severely.

DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS   250 terrorists killed in American strikes on Sarget camp in northern Iraq on Ansar al-Islam, the suspected link between Baghdad and Al Qaida. Huge haul from the outfit’s bunkers and offices.   Allies’ ground operations intensify in southern Iraq. Thousands of US troops surround Najf, 160 km south of Baghdad.   Americans begin hunt for “Chemical Ali”, the Iraqi General who gassed thousands of Kurds in 1988.   Iraq says 4000 suicide bombers arrive in Baghdad for kamikaze missions against American and British troops.

Sonia writes to Advani over train incident Kalam, PM discuss Iraq, Ayodhya Sadhus shout while calling for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Monday. — AFP photo

Pak disallows Indian goods to Kabul
Islamabad, March 31
Pakistan has refused permission to Afghanistan to import Indian goods through the Wagah border in Punjab but agreed to allow Afghanistan’s exports to India through the same land route.

Special Group to review security in J and K
New Delhi, March 31
The Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government today decided to set up a special group to review the existing macro-strategies in tackling militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. In video (28k, 56k)

  Mayawati opposes govt’s healing touch policy

Fresh EC guidelines issued
New Delhi, March 31
Armed with the March 13 verdict of the Supreme Court the Election Commission today issued guidelines for candidates making it mandatory for them to declare their criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualification through an affidavit.

Bandh against VAT near total in region Chandigarh, March 31 The bandh against value-added tax was near total in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and most of Punjab. The response to the call for a two-day bandh given by the Akhil Bharatiya Beopar Mandal was poor in Chandigarh. Today was the first day of the bandh.In video (28k, 56k)   Nation page: Bandh against VAT partial