The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

MAILBAG

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

NATIONAL CAPITAL

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

J A M M U & K A S H M I R

19 killed, 27 hurt in valley
Srinagar, February 7
Nineteen persons, including five militants and three Army jawans, were killed in violence across Jammu and Kashmir where militants kidnapped a Special Police Officer since last evening, a police spokesman said today.

PDF on verge of split
Jammu, February 7
The Peoples Democratic Forum headed by the State Revenue Minister, Hakim Mohammed Yasin, is on the verge of a split as the Minister of State for Forests, Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi, has raised the banner of revolt against the Forum. The Revenue Minister indicated here today that Mr Sofi might be thrown out of the PDF. Reports said two other MLA-members of the PDF were trying to distance themselves from the organisation.

Ambedkar awards distributed
Jammu, February 7
The Governor of Haryana, Babu Parmanand, today inaugurated a new block of the Dr Ambedkar Convent School building here. He distributed Dr Ambedkar National Awards-2003 among various dignitaries, teachers and students.

Policemen march along the outskirts of Jammu on Saturday.
— Reuters

YOUR TOWN

Jammu
Srinagar

Indo-Pak initiatives revive tourism in Kashmir.
(28k, 56k)

EARLIER STORIES

	AITUC for probe into Dul Hasti project delay February 7, 2004
	Pandits divided over talks with APHC (Abbas) February 6, 2004
	Dy CM should quit, demands Bhim Singh February 5, 2004
	Militants recruiting tribal children February 4, 2004
	Offer to surrendered militants may fuel militancy, says JMM February 3, 2004
	Jammu-Srinagar highway reopened February 2, 2004
	US officials ask hardliners to join dialogue February 1, 2004
	2 LeT commanders among 10 ultras shot in valley January 31, 2004
	APHC endorses Delhi talks January 30, 2004
	APHC (Abbas) favours return of Pandits to valley January 29, 2004

19 killed, 27 hurt in valley

Srinagar, February 7
Nineteen persons, including five militants and three Army jawans, were killed in violence across Jammu and Kashmir where militants kidnapped a Special Police Officer (SPO) since last evening, a police spokesman said today.

Three persons, including a woman were killed and 27 others including three Army jawans, injured in a grenade explosion in Pulwama district of south Kashmir today, the spokesman said.

He said militants hurled a grenade followed by firing towards an Army patrol at the overcrowded Shopian bus stand, injuring three Army jawans and 28 civilians.

Of the injured, Ghulam Nabi was declared brought dead by doctors, while Shah Altaf succumbed to his wounds in the hospital, the spokesman said.

At the time of the militant act, the spokesman said, a woman Sabzara Naseem, a resident of Keegam Shopian, died due to heart attack.

Militants gunned down a top commander of counter-insurgent Ikhwan Zahoor Ahmed Baba, alias Gulzar Kashmiri, in Anantnag district of south Kashmir today. Militants also shot dead one, Manzoor Ahmed near Nallah Chaker Batapora in Budgam district of central Kashmir last night.

The spokesman said five militants and three Army jawans were killed in an encounter between security forces and militants at Tatvass Behak in the Bandipora area of Baramula district last evening.

The police picked up bodies of two persons from the jungle area in Doda district today. The deceased were identified as sarpanch of upper Mundar Kastigarh Nissar Ahmed Lone and Zaitoon Begum. Both of them had been abducted and later killed by militants, he said.

JAMMU: Four persons were killed by militants in separate incidents in Rajouri and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

A group of militants barged into the house of one Gulzar Ahmed in Maujor village of Rajouri last night and kidnapped him along with his son, they said, adding that the bodies of the two were found this morning from a nearby forest.

The same group of militants earlier killed one Zaheed Mehmood in the same village.

In another incident, militants killed one qasim ali in prathurro village of Udhampur during or the night of February 5.

Meanwhile, Rifleman Pramod Singh of 17 Raj Rifles was killed after his service weapon went off accidentally in the Brignagar-Kharian area of Jammu, the sources added. — PTI

PDF on verge of split
Our Correspondent

Jammu, February 7
The Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF) headed by the State Revenue Minister, Hakim Mohammed Yasin, is on the verge of a split as the Minister of State for Forests, Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi, has raised the banner of revolt against the Forum.

The Revenue Minister indicated here today that Mr Sofi might be thrown out of the PDF. Reports said two other MLA-members of the PDF were trying to distance themselves from the organisation. They were planning to join either the Congress or the PDP.

Meanwhile, the Congress high command has summoned the party MLAs to Delhi to resolve the tussle between the party loyalists and dissidents. A number of dissident Congress legislators have threatened to disrupt the proceedings of the state Assembly during the budget session.

These dissidents want “tainted” Congress ministers to be dropped from the Council of Ministers and inclusion of those party MLAs in the Cabinet who played a role in the success of the Congress in the state.

Ambedkar awards distributed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 7
The Governor of Haryana, Babu Parmanand, today inaugurated a new block of the Dr Ambedkar Convent School building here. He distributed Dr Ambedkar National Awards-2003 among various dignitaries, teachers and students. Among those who received the awards were the Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, the Social Welfare Minister, Mr Mula Ram, the Minister of State for Sheep Husbandry, Mr Yash Paul Kundal, Mr Ram Paul, MLC, Mr Raman Bhalla and Mr Manjeet Singh, MLAs, Mr R.L. Bharti, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr S.P. Verma, president, All-India Rachnatmak Samaj and other social workers. The Jammu and Kashmir Speaker Mr Tara Chand, also spoke.

HOME PAGE