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Tuesday,
August 26, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Terrorists trained in sword attacks Four Army men among 12 killed
Massive security for PM’s visit |
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Geelani calls for strike on August 27 Hurriyat changing stand, says Hizbul Drung thrown open
to tourists Two killed in shelling by Pak troops
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Terrorists
trained in sword attacks Jammu, August 25 According to official sources, activists in the BAT have been trained in carrying out swift sword attacks on Army personnel in their pickets. These activists have been trained in crawling into the Indian territory for attacking soldiers with swords or other sharp-edged weapons, which go unnoticed in other pickets unlike gunfire. Some BAT activists are pushed into the Indian territory with IEDs or other explosive material tagged to their bodies so that whenever they get into an Army picket or a trench, the explosion can cause heavy casualty among the soldiers. A Defence Ministry official said here today that of the six militants killed in the Krishna Ghati area of Mendhar in Poonch district two days ago, four carried IEDs tagged to their bodies. The idea behind this exercise was to either blow up the Army bunker or picket or while being arrested cause death to security personnel while triggering off the IEDs. He said all six militants killed were in Army fatigue, which could have helped them walk right to the Army bunker. The official said these terrorists have been found carrying bottles of poison, which they could administer to their victims. He said reports from across the border had revealed that training camps for the militants, which had been wound up during the military buildup on the border last year, had been reopened. Nearly 4,500 terrorists trained in these camps during the past six months had been brought on launching pads across Kupwara, Keran, Uri, Poonch and Rajouri. The agencies across the LoC are trying to push these militants into Jammu and Kashmir within three months so that before the border routes get buried under snow, militants operating in the state have sufficient man and machine power. The police authorities confirmed that the rate of ingress and egress on the LoC had increased during the past three weeks. More than 200 local boys have been assisted in crossing over into Pakistan and occupied-Kashmir during the past one month. According to the police, the security forces rescued more than 25 boys who were being taken by militants to Pakistan for arms training from various parts of the state during the past two months. Official reports also confirmed that activists of the Hizbul Mujahideen, headed by Syed Salahuddin, have become quite active and in a series of encounters with the security forces in recent weeks more than 15 Hizb activists have been killed. The reports said despite improvement in the security scenario in the Kashmir valley, terrorists continued to attack suspected police informants and security personnel in remote areas of the state. |
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Four Army men among 12 killed Srinagar, August 25 Three Army men were killed and two wounded in a gunbattle with the militants in the Kandi area in Rajouri district, an official spokesman said. Lashkar-e-Toiba militants mowed down three members of a family, including two women, in the Manjakote area in Rajouri. The militants barged into the house of Mohammad Akbar and killed him, his wife and daughter-in-law by slitting their throats. The security forces challenged a group of militants trying to sneak into the valley from across the border in Baramula district and in the ensuing gunbattle, an ultra and a jawan were killed, the spokesman said. Acting on a tip-off, the Army launched an operation in the area last evening. However, the ultras began firing from their automatic weapons. One Lieutenant and two jawans were killed and two jawans and a civilian injured in the exchange of fire. The identity of the deceased could not be ascertained so far. One infiltrator was shot dead near the Line of Control in the Mendhar area of Poonch district last night. The BSF arrested a group of militants allegedly involved in several attacks on the security forces in the valley. Two militants of the Al-Omar Mujahideen were arrested near Seki Dafar Chowk early today. Subsequent questioning to the arrest of four more militants from various parts of the area. The group was involved in carrying out seven attacks on the security forces during the past 10 months. The police recovered the body of a man from Potushai, Lolab in Kupwara district today. He had been kidnapped by suspected militants a few days earlier. A group of militants reportedly looted the Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch Yaripora, Kulgam in Anantnag district, today and took away Rs 17,000. Three persons were injured in the firing by the militants when some people outside the branch tried to catch them, the police said. |
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Massive security for PM’s visit
Srinagar, August 25 The security forces had taken positions in and around the venue where the Prime Minister was schedule to inaugurate the crucial ISC meet on August 27. The security forces and the state police were jointly patrolling the road from Moulana Azad Bridge to Nishat crossing. All vehicles plying on the route were being searched and passengers frisked. “We cannot take any chance as the Prime Minister and some of his Cabinet colleagues, along with chief ministers of all states, will be attending the meeting,’’ said a security officer at Dalgate crossing. Official sources said the security forces had been put on maximum alert across the valley to thwart any attempt by the militants to attack soft targets. Sources said that all traffic movement from Dalgate to Nishat would be stopped for two days from August 27 and traffic would be diverted through other routes in view of the meeting. No vehicle, except those having valid security pass, would be allowed on the Boulvard road for two days, sources added. The security forces had also been conducting searches in the Dal lake for the past two days. However, the BSF arrested six militants of pro-Pakistan Al-Omar Mujahideen from the down town city in the early hours today. — UNI
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Geelani
calls for strike on August 27 Srinagar, August 25 The strike has been called to demonstrate to the world that Kashmiris protest against Indian occupation and that disputed nature of Kashmir continued since 1947, Mr Geelani who is planning to launch a separatist outfit said in a statement. Radical women’s organisation, the Dukhtaran-i-Millat (DM) backed Geelani’s strike call by saying that the struggle launched by Kashmiris wanted independence from India and not some concessions. The Hurriyat had called for a two-day strike when the PM last visited Kashmir in April but withdrew the call after only a day when the Prime Minister extended his hand of friendship to Pakistan. The pro-Pak militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen said the day would be observed as a black day like the one on August 15. Hizb extends full support to the strike, outfit’s spokesman Juanidul Islam said in a faxed statement here. The United Jehad Council, an amalgam of militant outfits, also lent support to the strike.
— PTI |
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Hurriyat
changing stand, says Hizbul Srinagar, August 25 Reacting to statements by some Hurriyat leaders, Junaidul Islam said Kashmir was neither a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan that the two countries could resolve it amongst themselves nor was it an internal matter of India that they would sit with some Kashmiri leaders to solve the problem. “The Kashmir issue cannot be resolved unless and until all three parties to the issue (India, Pakistan and Kashmiris) sit across to the table,” he added. Criticising the frequent visits of Hurriyat leaders to Delhi, the Hizbul spokesman said it amounted to playing with the sacrifices made by Kashmiri people.
— PTI |
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Drung thrown open to tourists Drung (Tangmarg), August 25 A few historical monuments revealing the age-old importance of the area are also spots of attraction for tourists. While this is being developed as a tourist village, it will also help in fulfilling the growing “craze for eco-tourism”. The area, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, is part of a circuit of tourist spots, connecting it with Tosa Maidan in south Kashmir. These spots will let tourist enjoy the scenic beauty of Kashmir even away from the famous spots. He said some of the tourist spots attracted heavy rush during the peak season and it was necessary to explore more such places for lessening heavy rush at main spots. Mr Mir said there were so many possibilities of exploring more and more such places in the Kashmir Valley, which on the whole is a world famous tourist resort. The exploring of such tourist places in different parts of the valley would also help in the economic development of the people in the area, the Tourism Minister said. Referring to the exploration of Drung, 3.5 km from Tangmarg, base camp to the Gulmarg tourist spot, the minister said the conjoined hamlets of Drung, Ferozpore and Qazipora would help local people to earn money by attracting trourists. There was, however, no immediate plan of providing other facilities and basic infrastructure. If the road link of 3.5 km from Tangmarg was refurbished and a little infrastructure developed, this would be the second spot of tourist attraction after the Dal Lake of Srinagar, said a senior police officer. Mr Mir disclosed that a week-long Gulmarg festival was being held from September 5. A number of cultural programmes and sports events were being organised by the Gulmarg Development Authority, its Chief Executive Officer, Farooq Ahmad Shah
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Two killed in shelling by Pak troops Jammu, August 25 “Indian troops retaliated effectively and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 8.30 p.m.,” they said. Mohammad Sadiq of Nar village in Balnoie sector was killed in the shelling, the sources said, adding that another civilian Mohammad Gulzar succumbed to his injuries in Basoni village of Balakote sector. Intermittent exchange of small arms firing was also reported along the international border at a few places in Samba and R.S. Pura sectors last night with no loss to lives or damage to property on the Indian side, they said.
— PTI
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