M A I N   N E W S

IRB camp attacked, one dead
Jaish commander killed
Tribune News Service and Agencies

Jammu, April 17
Militants killed a jawan of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and wounded another as they again attacked the Indh village of Udhampur district last night.

This is the third attack on the village in the past few days. They had massacred 14 persons, including 11 policemen, just a few days ago in this village.

The killed constable has been identified as Bilal Ahmed, while another constable, Mohammad Altaf, was injured.

Reports said that militants suddenly attacked IRB camp and the newly set up police post around mid-night. However, the attack was repulsed by IRB personnel.

Sources said that the militants were apparently trying to take revenge for the killing of four of their companions, including Amanullah Pir, an area commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, by the police a few days ago in the village.

The IRB was deployed in the area following the killing of 14 persons. The militants had burnt the police post in the earlier attack.

The forest of Basinda Dhar near the Indh village is understood to be the hiding place for a number of militants. The area falls in their route to various places in the Kashmir valley and the Doda district.

SRINAGAR: A pedestrian was killed and 10 others were injured in landmine explosion at Kunzar on Magam-Tangmarg road, 40 km from here in Baramula district this afternoon.

Eight Army jawans were injured when their vehicles were ambushed by militants at Model Town on the outskirts of Sopore town in Baramula district last night.

Three civilians and a jawan of the Border Security Force (BSF) were injured and a residential house was damaged in a grenade attack by suspected militants on a security camp near Bandipore in Baramula district last night.

An official spokesman said that in an encounter between militants and security forces at Wan Divelgam Kokernag village in South Kashmir district of Anantnag last evening, that lasted for two hours, two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants, including a district commander Khubabi Khandari alias Hazafa Baroodi, were killed. Two AK rifles, four magazines, four grenades, 16 rounds of ammunition and one wireless set were seized from the slain militants.

In stepped up attacks on the eve of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit, militants today attacked a police post, ambushed army vehicles and triggered an IED blast killing two persons and injuring 18 in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources here said.

Militants triggered a powerful improvised explosive device outside a hospital at Magam in Badgam district this afternoon killing a policeman and injuring nine persons, including a BSF jawan.

At least 30 suspects have been detained from different parts of Srinagar as stringent security measures were put in place for the Prime Minister’s visit.

BARAMULA: In another incident, militants hurled a hand grenade towards a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol party at Nasu near Bandipora last evening injuring a jawan Sanjeev Kumar.

Sources said the grenade blast was followed by firing in which one Ghulam Nabi, his son Altaf Ahmad and daughter Shaheena were wounded. The injured were admitted to different hospitals, sources said.

SRINAGAR: Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were today put on high alert following two wireless intercepts that militants belonging to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were planning to carry out a suicide attack during the two-day visit of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee beginning tomorrow.

Security agencies intercepted a message sent from across the border by a LeT militant saying he would carry out the attack during the Vajpayee’s visit, especially targeting his public functions in the valley.

The Army intelligence intercepted another cross-border message by LeT calling for a “high-profile” action during the Prime Minister’s visit to Qazigund in south Kashmir where he would be laying foundation of a Railway bridge and a Railway reservation centre.

The state police and other agencies were monitoring the situation and all precautionary measures had been taken, a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, in another inter-gang clash among militant outfits, a Lashker-e-Toiba sector commander was today killed in an encounter with Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Rajouri district, official sources said here.

Following a tiff over some local issue pertaining to land dispute, ultras belonging to Pakistan-backed LeT and Kashmiris dominated Hizbul Mujahideen exchanged fire in Kote Marote village early this morning, they said.

LeT sector commander Abu Umar of Karachi in Pakistan was killed and two Hizbul militants were injured in the clashes, the sources said, adding the injured Hizbul militants escaped from the spot.

One Hizbul militant was killed in a group clash in Doda district on Tuesday.

Two LeT militants nabbed in Thane

Mumbai, April 17
Two hardcore Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, entrusted to target prominent personalities in Maharashtra and carrying out subversive activities here, were nabbed by the police in neighbouring Thane district.

Thorough investigations revealed his links with the LeT and based on his disclosure, Kapadia was arrested on April 14, the commissioner added. PTI