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3 women among 20 hurt in grenade blast
Preparations on for smooth journey to Muzaffarabad
Mufti wants J&K to get rid of begging bowl syndrome
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10 of family feared dead in house collapse
Death of Veeri’s brother condoled
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3 women among 20 hurt in grenade blast
Srinagar, March 27 In a major breakthrough, security forces shot dead Ghulam Mohammad Malik alias Kamran, self-styled divisional commander-cum-financial chief of Hizb, during an encounter in Dardpora forests of Kupwara district last night, an official spokesman said. An AK rifle, three magazines, 63 rounds, three hand grenades and a wireless set were recovered from Malik’s possession, he said. Another Hizb militant Jehangir Ahmad Mir was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces at Yamrach in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district, the spokesman said. A police constable was also killed in the gunbattle. Mohammad Ashraf Padder, another top ranking commander of Hizb, was killed in a gunbattle with security forces at Langni in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district yesterday. Militants last night abducted Tariq Ahmad Hajam from his house at Barsoo in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district and later shot him dead. The police recovered his bullet-ridden body from fields at Lethpora today, the spokesman said. According to a UNI report at least 20 persons, including three women, were injured in a militant grenade attack near a crowded bus stand in Batmaloo this afternoon. Official sources said the militants hurled a hand grenade towards a Border Security Force (BSF) bunker near the crowded general bus stand at Batmaloo this afternoon around 1645 hrs. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the road side causing injuries to 20 persons including three women. The injured have been admitted to different hospitals. Meanwhile, two militants and a policeman were among 10 persons killed and a Congress worker injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces arrested four persons, a police spokesman said yesterday. In a pre-dawn swoop, the spokesman said, militants raided Hassote Village in the Mahore area of Udhampur district today and fired indiscriminately at the family of a surrendered militant Mohammad Shabir Gujjar. Gujjar’s mother Gugy Begum, wife Shamshad Begum and his infant daughter were killed in the firing, he said adding that the ultras also set ablaze the house causing damage to it. Before fleeing, the militants also killed Mir Qasim in his house at nearby Plani, the spokesman said. He said an unidentified militant and a policeman were killed in a nearly three-hour-long gunbattle at Yamrach village in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district. The encounter broke out when a joint search party came under fire from militants hiding in the village. Security forces killed a militant in another encounter at Langanbal in Anantnag last night. An AK rifle and three grenades were recovered from him, the spokesman said. The police has found the body of a former militant, Abdul Rashid, alias Ummar Bin Khidab, hanging from a tree in Bhangai village in Rajouri district yesterday, official sources said. Rashid was released from Rajouri jail a fortnight back and was strangulated to death by suspected militants, they said. Militants shot at and injured a Congress worker Abdul Rehman Ahanger outside his house at Kapran village in Anantnag district this morning, the spokesman said.
— PTI, UNI |
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Preparations on for smooth journey to Muzaffarabad
Jammu, March 27 A 19-seater luxury coach carried out a trial run from Srinagar to Uri and the experts travelling in it pointed out some shortcomings in the road development programme. These loopholes, according to official sources, would be removed within the next three days. According to the Minister of State for Transport, Mr Raman Bhalla, the two 19-seater buses are fully air-conditioned and have push-back seats.Television sets have been installed in the buses which have inbuilt facility for the supply of drinking water. He told this correspondent here today that the government was exploring the possibility of sending leaders from various mainstream political organisations with the first batch of 30 visitors. It has, however, not been decided as yet whether members of the all-party delegation will cross over to Muzaffarabad or see the visitors off at Uri. In reply to a question he said the passengers travelling in state road transport corporation buses do not have any insurance cover. However,‘‘we are in touch with a general insurance company which has agreed to examine the feasibility of insuring passengers travelling to Muzaffarabad.” Latest reports indicate that the AICC President, Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, may flag off the first batch of visitors to Muzaffarabad on April 7 from the Sonawar area in Srinagar instead of seeing them off on the Uri border. One senior police officer said while the officials of the departments of customs, immigration and intelligence agencies would open their offices by April 5, experts would complete the installation of scanning machines and metal detectors on the entry and exit points for screening the incoming and outgoing visitors and their luggage. He said a police checkpost was to be established right on the entry point on the border.The police officials will be assisted by personnel from different security agencies, including the Army, in ensuring incident-free two-way traffic on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. The officer made it clear that in spite of the threat of demonstration held out by the BJP in Jammu and by hardliner separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the road would be thrown open for the bus services on April 7. Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP has decided to hold a demonstration on April 7, not against the opening of the road link but against the decision of the government to treat the permit as a valid travel document. President of the state unit of the party Dri Nirmal Singh said the replacing the passport system with the local permits would “open floodgates for militants from across the border.” On the contrary Syed Ali Shah Geelani has expressed his opposition to the road opening exercise on the plea that it “will sideline the Kashmir issue.” |
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Mufti wants J&K to get rid of begging bowl syndrome
Srinagar, March 27 Autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir is an option but the views of all three regions of the state would have to be reconciled to reach a point of agreement, the Mufti told the doordarshan in an interview here. While there is demand for more autonomy in Kashmir, demand of total integration and Union Territory status is being voiced in Jammu and Ladakh, respectively, he said. The Mufti said he was not against more autonomy being given to the state but the political parties would have to think if they want a Jammu and Kashmir perennially holding a begging bowl even for meeting the salaries of its employees. I want to rid the state of the begging bowl syndrome. The Chief Minister recalled how the erstwhile ruling party, National Conference, passed a resolution on autonomy in the state legislature and when the Centre rejected it outright, its leadership remained clung to power instead of protesting. On engaging of separatist groups in the dialogue process, he said the views of the mainstream political parties on accession of the state were known and it was significant that people from other side of the spectrum were involved in the talks. We have to convince those who have a problem with accession. He expressed surprise over the refusal of separatists to hold talks with Centre when the offer was unconditional.
— PTI |
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Governor opens photo exhibition
Srinagar, March 27 In his address, the Governor highlighted the work done by the Army in alleviating the hardships faced by the people. “The exhibition is an opportunity for the people to see for themselves, how the efforts of the security forces and the state administration have borne fruit,” Gen Sinha said. Entertainment programme were also presented by Army School children. During the exhibition, arrangements have been made to provide career counselling to the youth. |
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10 of family feared dead in house collapse
Jammu, March 27 The house collapsed last night following heavy rains in the area, they said, adding that 10 persons of the family were in the house when it collapsed. Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and had extricated the body of one person from the debris. Details of the survivors were not known, the sources said. Another report said that three houses collapsed near bus stand in Gandoh area of Doda district. However, there was no loss of life in this incident. These houses had recently suffered damaged due to rains witnessed in the area, they said and added all these houses caved in yesterday.
— PTI |
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Death of Veeri’s brother condoled
Srinagar, March 27 Accompanied by MP and President of People’s Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti, he visited the bereaved minister in his native village, Beeri, in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag District, an official spokesman said. Veeri’s brother Mohammed Akram was shot dead by militants on Thursday. The Chief Minister expressed his shock over the incident and offered condolences to Veeri and other members of the family.
— PTI |
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