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Monday,
May 19, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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APHC may elect new chief in July Major gains by Rashtriya Rifles Camps in occupied Kashmir ‘being closed’ Three ultras among six killed in valley
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| Tourist, housewife raped in Jammu Jammu, May 18 Two women, including a tourist from Bhopal, were allegedly raped and three persons were arrested in this connection in Jammu and Doda districts last night, official sources said today.
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APHC may elect new chief in July Jammu, May 18 This became evident when both these constituents decided to hold separate functions in connection with the death anniversaries of their founder leaders. While the Awami Action Committee has given a call for Kashmir bandh on May 21, when its founder chairman Molvi Farooq was gunned down by militants in his residence 13 years ago, the Peoples’ Conference will hold a public rally in Srinagar on May 22 in connection with the first death anniversary of its founder president, Abdul Gani Lone. Lone was killed on May 21 when he was attending a function in Idgah in connection with the 12th death anniversary of Molvi Farooq. Since he was buried on May 22, supporters decided to observe it as the day of his death anniversary. The APHC leadership has decided to organise a seminar in Srinagar tomorrow in memory of the two slain leaders where the leaders of the 23-party conglomerate will lay emphasis on the settlement of the Kashmir issue. The chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said in reply to a question that “we are not divided. We have worked together for the past nine years.” He said, “We do not want to interfere if the Awami Action Committee and the Peoples’ Conference have chalked out separate programmes for observing the death anniversaries of their founder presidents.” Asked why the APHC leadership was not organising a public rally in connection with the first death anniversary of Lone, Professor Bhat said, “ Whenever we have decided to hold a public function, we have been prevented from doing so. Either we are placed under house arrest or the holding of an assembly is banned. To another question, he said the election for the chairmanship of the APHC might be held in July. “My term had ended in July last and I had been asked to continue for a year which means that by July we have to elect a new head, Professor Bhat said. Since under the APHC constitution those having held the post of chairman once are not entitled to contest for a second time, only four leaders, Mohammad Yasin Malik, APHC leader, Molvi Abbas Ansari, a Shia leader, Sheikh Aziz Ahmed, chief of the Peoples’ League, and Mr Sajjad Lone, chief of the Peoples’ Conference, are eligible for contesting the election. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Molvi Umar Farooq and Professor Bhat cannot seek a re-election. However, if the executive committee members agree, they can ask Professor Bhat to continue for another year. Indications are that Mohammad Yasin Malik may be the ultimate choice for the APHC chairman’s post in case Molvi Abbas Ansari and Mr Sajjad Lone do not contest. |
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Major gains by Rashtriya Rifles Jammu, May 18 It is learnt that the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian army which is engaged in counter insurgency operations in the state, has not only eliminated several top terrorist leaders, but also seized a large quantity of modern arms and ammunition from them. Many hideouts of the terrorists on the higher reaches have been destroyed and the entry routes from Pakistan plugged. The biggest successes of the Army have been at Hikaka in Poonch district and near Doda town where 27 hardcore terrorists were shot in two encounters last month. Six Army personnel laid their lives in the encounter at Doda. According to an Army spokesman, as many as 126 terrorists were killed last month, including 21 Pakistanis and 14 foreign mercenaries. Hilkaka has been of strategic importance for the terrorists as this hamlet lies close to the Line of Control (LoC). Last month’s encounter in which 14 terrorists were killed was perhaps the first ever since the terrorists started infiltrating from Pakistan. An indication regarding launching of the first-ever such anti-insurgency operation on the higher hills was given recently by Lieut. Gen, T.P.S. Brar, GOC of the 16th Corps in the border village of Thanna Mandi in Rajouri district he warned the people not to give shelter to the terrorists who had started fleeing. The need for such an operation was felt for a long time as certain areas in Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts had come to be known as terrorist occupied areas. The jungles across the rivulet in Surankot town of Poonch was virtually being ruled by terrorists and the local police did not dare to go towards that area before the RR launched the operation. Surankot, Bafliaz, Mendhar, Kalakot, and Darhal are among the other trouble spots. The terrorists have caused much harm to the civilian population, killing over 200 innocent parsons in the past four months. The terrorists killed in the recent encounters were heavily armed. In the past four months, 450 AK rifles, 13 machine guns and 30 rockets launchers have been seized. The Army has killed two district commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Zulfiqar Ali and Khursheed Ahmed, both from Pakistan, in an encounter at Naushera in the Rajouri district yesterday. Another terrorist, Abu Teli, a resident of Gujaranwala in Pakistan, was killed at Thanamandi. |
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Camps in occupied Kashmir ‘being closed’ Jammu, May 18 They said that the order for the closure of these camps had come from Islamabad following assurance given by the Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf to the US Secretary of State, Mr Richard Armitage, during his visit to Pakistan. Gen Musharraf had told Mr Armitage that if there were camps in occupied Kashmir “there will be none the next day”. Reports said that the plan of closing the camps was the result of US pressure on Pakistan to stop aiding crossborder terrorism in order to motivate Delhi for resuming bilateral parleys. According to these reports, authorities in occupied Kashmir and Islamabad have ordered a mini crackdown on militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen’s two factions. This step has been taken to keep the warring groups of militants segregated so that clashes among them could not be exploited by Delhi while blaming Pakistan for providing shelter to militants. Syed Salahuddin, Hizbul Mujahideen’s chief in a recent interview claimed that his organisation had not a single training camp in occupied Kashmir indicating that some of the camps had been closed. Fearing that fundamentalists and Kashmiri separatists, camping in occupied Kashmir, may not resort to armed campaign against Islamabad for responding to the peace initiative from Delhi without securing a firm
commitment from India that Kashmir issue would head the agenda during the resumption of bilateral parleys the Government has imposed ban on people carrying weapons in public places. To keep the American Government in good humour, the authorities in Islamabad have restricted collection of funds for what is called Jehad in Kashmir. During the past several years special camps used to be held in different parts of Pakistan where the secessionists would collect money from the people in the name of Kashmir’s Jehad. Donation boxes had been installed outside scores of mosques in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir for collection of funds for the ongoing Jehad in Kashmir. Reports from across the border revealed that these boxes disappeared in several places and the fund raising drive almost suspended. But at the
same time the agencies engaged in pushing into Jammu and Kashmir groups of rebels have intensified plan and the rate of ingress from across Kupwara sector has been stepped up. These agencies want to send bigger groups of militants into Kashmir before Islamabad was forced to stop aiding infiltration.
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Three ultras among six killed in valley
Srinagar, May 18 Two AK rifles, eight magazines, 40 rounds, five hand grenades and two wireless sets were recovered from the slain militants, they said. In another encounter, a foreign militant was killed by security forces at Dardapora in the Lolab area of Kupwara district, he said. An AK rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds, one compass and a wireless set were recovered from the deceased, he added. One person, who was critically wounded in yesterday’s mine blast at Rangwar in Kupwara district, succumbed to injuries at a hospital this morning, he said. Militants shot dead one person at Darkasi in the Tangmarg area of neighbouring Baramula district. The ultras also shot dead Habibullah Najar at Kandi in Kupwara district last night, he said, adding that the police was investigating the matter. The spokesman said militants kidnapped a student, Ali Mohammad Mir, from Ballawoder village in Kupwara last night.
A manhunt has been launched to rescue him. A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was arrested along with two grenades and a wireless set at Ganderbal in the outskirts of the city during search operations.
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Tourist, housewife raped in Jammu Jammu, May 18 A tourist from Bhopal, Rukhsana, who was returning from Pahalgam in south Kashmir along with her son, was abducted by three taxi drivers when she reached Jammu last night, they said. The 40-year-old woman was taken by the trio in a taxi to the nearby Kunjwani forest area and allegedly raped, the sources said. The victim informed the police when the taxi was stopped at a check point and all the three men — Madan Lal, Randeer Singh and Subash Chander were arrested. In another incident, a 30-year-old housewife Shakuntala Devi was allegedly raped by Kikar Singh in the Gandoh area of Doda district yesterday, the sources said. The police has arrested the accused and registered a case. Meanwhile, two persons abducted a housewife, Amina, from her house in the Khilo Chak area in Jammu last night and a case has been registered, the sources said, quoting a report and added another abducted woman was found at Hardwar and restored to her family.
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