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Security forces’ new strategy towards militants pays
off Hizbul dist chief shot; IED found at
institute Boycott poll, APHC factions urge
people Panthers Party for removal of Mufti NC takes out march, supports Article 370 |
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Security forces’ new strategy towards militants pays
off Jammu, March 15 At least 10 commanders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Hizbul Mujaheedin (HM) outfits are among the 47 militants killed by security forces in the Jammu division. The number of militants killed has been equally high in the Kashmir valley. It is learnt that the Army and paramilitary forces have adopted the policy of targeting leaders of terrorist groups. Security forces have the upper hand now particularly in the Poonch, Rajauri and Doda districts — considered as a haven by terrorists. Sources said that the security forces recovered cache of arms and ammunition from these terrorists that includes more than 40 AK-46 and 56 rifles, 60 kg of RDX and other explosive material and over 40 hand grenades. Ration weighing 800 kg has been recovered from different hideouts of militants. Pakistani terrorist, Abu Nazir, an area commander of the LeT, was killed in an encounter at Bafliaz in the Surankot tehsil a few days ago. Another LeT activist, Abu Hassan, was also shot dead. Abu Zabar, area commander of the LeT, was killed at Ghambir Muglan in the Poonch district, while Abu Khabeeb of the HM was shot at Gandoh in the Doda district. Terrorist Basharat, who was tehsil commander of the JeM outfit, was shot near Kishtwar in the Doda district. Security forces at Bafliaz and Shahdara Sharif knocked down Abu Saleem and Abu Bilal, local commanders of the LeT. It is learnt that most of the terrorists killed in the past one month were either of Pakistani origin or Afghans. The local youths appear to be distancing from foreign militants. Terrorists through the Line of Control have made not many infiltration attempts after the announcement of ceasefire on the borders since November. Nearly 15 terrorists, who tried to infiltrate in three groups were shot dead by the Army. However, the Army was keeping its fingers crossed as there was information that a few terrorist groups were waiting for the snow to melt at the high passes. There were reports that Pakistan had not yet wound up 35 terrorist training camps in its territory near the LoC and the international border. However, activity in these camps had decreased, the sources said. |
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Hizbul dist chief shot; IED found at institute Jammu, March 15 In a joint operation with the police, the troops killed Bag Hussain, who had been a district commander of Hizbul, at Dang, upper Panghi, in Rajouri district yesterday, they said. Acting on specific information, the security forces raided Hussain’s hide-out but he refused to surrender, the sources said, adding that the ultra was killed in the ensuing encounter which lasted for about one hour. One AK rifle with two magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition, two handgrenades, six matrix sheets and one battery charger set were recovered from the slain militant. In another incident in the same district the police found Mohammad Akbar hanging from tree in Neelawali forest area yesterday. Akbar, a Gujjar belonging to upper Shahdara Sharief Mohra Kundam, was kidnapped by ultras on Friday night. Meanwhile, the security forces during search operation in Mahore in Udhampur district and Surankote in Poonch district found three AK rifles, eight magazines, 615 rounds of AK ammunition, one AK bayonet, one binocular, two radio sets and two dictaphones last evening, the sources said. SRINAGAR: Mohammad Sarwar Dar and Abdul Majeed Mir, who were injured in an explosion at Doodipora Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara yesterday, died in the hospital on Monday. The security forces busted a militant hide-out in a house at Kulgam in south Kashmir district of Anantnag and found two magazines and one grenade. Another was busted in a house at Sogam in Kupwara and the troops recovered six UBGL grenades, one wireless set, one magazine, six hand grenades and 5 kg explosives. The spokesman said another hide-out was busted at Thandasa forest in Udhampur and eight magazines, 615 rounds of ammunition, three wireless sets, one grenade and one binocular were recovered. A major tragedy was averted on Monday when the police detected a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) near the crowded out-patient department (OPD) of the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura, near here, official sources said. The IED, weighing about 5 kg and concealed in a box, was planted by militants near the OPD of SKIMS where patients were standing in queues, they said. The police immediately cleared the area and summoned the bomb disposal squad, sources said.
— PTI, UNI |
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Boycott poll, APHC factions urge
people Jammu, March 15 While Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been canvassing people’s support for poll boycott his rivals in the APHC (Abbas) have announced that they will not participate in the poll, directly or indirectly. A former chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, told the correspondent that “the question of participating in the elections did not arise at all.” Certain militant groups have not yet made a public announcement asking the people to boycott the elections. Both National Conference and the ruling PDP-led coalition partners believe that the rebel threats and the anti-poll campaign launched by the two factions of the APHC would not keep the voters indoors who were keen to exercise their right of franchise. The state government has asked the Centre to send additional companies of paramilitary forces so that voters felt encouraged to vote. |
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Panthers Party for removal of Mufti Jammu, March 15 Mr Bhim Singh, told reporters that he would fly to Delhi tomorrow to persuade Mrs Sonia Gandhi to remove the Mufti whose policies he said posed threat to security and secular traditions. He said that the daughters Bill had given an election agenda to the BJP against the Congress with whose support the Mufti was in power. Mr Bhim Singh said that the Panthers Party would lodge a complaint with the Central Election Commission against the Mufti for “violating” the election code by bringing such a legislation that had created vertical communal divide on the eve of the elections. This amounts to corrupt practice and calls for action against the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma. He announced that he would contest Lok Sabha election from the Udhampur constituency even if the coalition did not back him. A meeting of the working committee of the party has been convened here tomorrow to discuss the number of seats the party would contest. He said that the party would organise a public meeting at Udhampur on March 23 to expose the Mufti government. |
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NC takes out march, supports Article 370 Srinagar, March 15 The march started from Zero Bridge, led by the party’s provincial president Mehboob Beigh, and culminated at Regal Chowk. In his address the National Conference provincial president expressed concern over the policies of the coalition government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He also sought the resignation of the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh for his failure in getting the Bill passed despite assurances in this regard. |
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