25 killed in Pak shelling
JAMMU, July 31 — At least 25 persons including eight Army jawans, have been killed in renewed shelling of border villages, including Uri, Kupwara, Karnah and Tangdhar during the past 24 hours.
Farooq condemns killings
SRINAGAR, July 31 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has strongly condemned Pakistan for targeting innocent people of Kashmir from across the border

25 killed in Pak shelling
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 31 — At least 25 persons including eight Army jawans, have been killed in renewed shelling of border villages, including Uri, Kupwara, Karnah and Tangdhar during the past 24 hours.

Official sources said in Karnah area 15 civilians and five Army jawan were killed when Pakistani shells fell on the town, damaging part of the Army Hospital and adjoining civilian residences. Among the 15 civilians killed were four women — Aisah, Sangeeta Bano, Resham Jan and Akhtar Jan.

The reports said more than 40 persons, including 20 Army jawans, were injured in the shelling in several border villages from Gulmarg to Kargil.

If the Pakistani official media is to be believed more than 11 persons have been killed across Kupwara in Chakoti area.

Official sources said transport services on the Baramulla-Uri road has been suspended. People are not being allowed to move from Buniyar to Uri town because of heavy shelling.

Official reports said shops in Uri remained closed and more than 300 families have shifted from Buniyar and Rampur to safer place at Sheeri in Baramulla town. Eleven border villages bore the brunt of Pakistani shelling during the past 12 hours. They are included Kamal Kot, Ghar Kot, Nambla, Bojehama, Machel, Gurez, Keran, Karnah, Sona Pindi and Uri. More than 500 families have fled from Gurez to Bandipore.

Defence Ministry sources confirmed the killing of three Army and two BSF jawans in Pakistani shelling. The sources said at least 20 Army jawans were injured at different places.

Police sources said after over 20 border villages were rocked by heavy shelling, the Indian troops had alternative but to use the Bofors guns to silence the Pakistani artillery and mortar fire. Reports said more than 20 Pakistani bunkers had been destroyed and several Pakistani Army sheds smashed.

As a result of Pak shelling, Kargil town continued to wear a deserted look with a majority of people having fled to safer areas. The Kargil market has remained closed during the past three days. People who have stayed back in the town have been spending living in trenches and bunkers. Traffic between Drass and Kargil has been affected.

As a result of tension in the entire border belt in North-West segment of the Kashmir valley, more families have started migrating to safer areas. The Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitley, and the Director General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, today flew to Kupwara Sector for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. They met the Army authorities and a cross-section of people.

Farooq condemns killings
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 31 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has strongly condemned Pakistan for targeting innocent people of Kashmir from across the border and urged the Centre to take stern measures to deal with unprovoked Pakistan action on our borders.

"We cannot remain mute spectators while they continue to shed blood of our people", Dr Abdullah said, as quoted by an official spokesman here today. The Chief Minister has been presently in London with his family for the past about two weeks now.

Reacting to the killing of 16 civilians in unprovoked firing in the border areas of Kashmir during the last two days, the Chief Minister accused Pakistan rulers of duplicity saying that on the one hand Mr Nawaz Sharif was holding bilateral talks with Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee in Colombo to improve India-Pakistan relations and on the other hand Pakistani troops are resorting to heavy artillery fire targeting the civilians. Pakistan did not seem to have quenched her thirst for the blood of Kashmiris. It had now started firing from across the border.

The Chief Minister expressed his personal condolences with the bereaved families and asked the district administration to provide all possible assistance to the affected families.