Militants kill 7 in J&K
SRINAGAR, Dec 5 — Militants gunned down six persons, including a school teacher and a constable, even as security forces raided militant hideouts and arrested eight top militants and seized arms and ammunition in the Kashmir valley since yesterday, an official spokesman today said.

4 Army jawans killed in mishap
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 5 — Four Army jawans were killed and 38 others, including three junior commissioned officers, wounded today when a bus (JK-02-A-9833) fell into a gorge near Amar Chashma, on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

A Defence Ministry spokesman confirmed the death of the two Army jawans. The spokesman said the two jawans died on the spot while 39 Army personnel, including three JCOs, were wounded.

However, later reports said that out of 17 Army jawans critically wounded, two succumed to their injuries. Those killed on the spot were Havildar Mangu Ram of the Garhwal Rifles and Lance Naik Shiv Ram Singh of the Rajput Regiment.

Helicopter services were pressed into service to lift the wounded to the Command Hospital at Udhampur. Police and troops carried out rescue operations and scores of labourers were engaged in pulling out the wounded from the deep gorge.

The Defence Ministry spokesman said the bus was carrying troops from Jammu to Srinagar when its brakes failed, sending the vehicle down the gorge.

The Army authorities have decided to probe the incident to find out the circumstances under which a private bus was hired for carrying troops to Srinagar.

Tributes paid to Sheikh Abdullah
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 5 — Rich tributes were paid to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 93rd birth anniversary at various functions held in the state today.

The National Conference President and Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, led his Cabinet colleagues and senior party leaders in offering Fateh at the Mazaar of Sher-e-Kashmir near Hazratbal early this morning.

Adequate security arrangements were made for the visit of the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues and other senior National Conference leaders.

The other functions held in honour of the founder leader of the National Conference included an exhibition of rare and historic photographs at the College of Education here this afternoon. Some rare photographs from the collections of the State Information Department and the National Conference files were exhibited.

The Chief Minister also released a souvenir of the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura on the outskirts of the Capital city. Dr Abdullah also inaugurated the Pokharbal Water Treatment Plant here on the occasion. The foundation stone of a vital bridge across the Jhelum was also laid about 25 km from here.

Militants kill 7 in J&K

SRINAGAR, Dec 5 (PTI) — Militants gunned down six persons, including a school teacher and a constable, even as security forces raided militant hideouts and arrested eight top militants and seized arms and ammunition in the Kashmir valley since yesterday, an official spokesman today said.

Militants killed police constable Tahir Ahmad associated with the Special Task Force and threw his body on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Anantnag district today, the spokesman said.

In another incident in the same district, militants shot dead a government school teacher, Mubarak Hussain Bhat, in Yaripora-Kulgam yesterday, the spokesman said.

Security forces and the police raided militant hideouts at nearly 12 places in the valley and arrested eight militants including a self-styled group commander of Harkat-ul-Ansar and platoon commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfits from Srinagar (six) and Baramula (two).

Six AK assault rifles, 24 magazines, 800 rounds of ammunition, 29 grenades, two remote control devices, three IEDs, six detonators, three packets of explosives, a wireless set, and a grenade launcher attachment, were also recovered from the militants.

The spokesman said militants also killed a surrendered militant, Abdul Jabbar Ganai, at Dangerpora-Kalaroos in Kupwara yesterday.

Militants shot at and critically wounded one Hamid Latief Wani at chhanpora in uptown Srinagar near his shop. He was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

One Jameel Ahmed Lone was killed by militants near Kralapora-Pattan in Baramula district yesterday.

The spokesman said the bullet-riddled body of an unidentified person was picked up from Cherwan in Charar-e-Sharief area of Badgam district yesterday.

A youth identified as Muzzaffar Ahmad Bhat was seriously wounded when an explosive device he was toying with exploded in his hands at Kamdaylan-Shopian in Pulwama today.

JAMMU: At least one Army jawan was killed in a rocket attack by militants in Surrankot area of Poonch district of Jammu region last night.

Official said here this afternoon that the militants fired a powerful rocket on an Army patrol party at Chandi Marh area of Surrankot, resulting in death of one Army jawan on the spot.

The sources said security forces had launched an intensive search operation in the area to nab the militants.

Tight security for PM's visit
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 5 — Security arrangements have been tightened in areas that Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is scheduled to visit on Sunday and Monday. The Inspector General Police (Crime) has been sent to supervise security at Kargil and IG Traffic to Leh, the DIG police Baramula range has been assigned the task of supervising security bandobast during the Prime Minister's visit.

The IG Jammu range has been asked to supervise security arrangements in the Srinagar border area in Jammu, where Mr Vajpayee is scheduled to address a public rally.

Though Mr Vajpayee has plans of spending the night in Srinagar, where he may address a press conference, his two-day visit is designed to cover those border areas which have witnessed intermittent but heavy Pak firing recently. In Hiranagar, Kargil and Kupwara sector, of which Tangdhar is a part, thousands of families had fled to safer areas because of Pakistani firing. The Prime Minister is slated to meet border villagers for an on the spot assessment of the security situation.

The Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength in Tangdhar, Kargil and Leh.

The PM is scheduled to hold talks with senior Army functionaries, including the Army Commander, Lt Gen S.M. Padmanabhan, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena. The state government has decided to project its demand for immediate reimbursement of security related expenses, which have touched an all time high of Rs 1200 crores. The government also wants an immediate economic package as the existing cash crunch has forced the Government to abandon work on several development projects.

Reports indicate that Prime Minister may announce some financial package for the state. The state government has made a persistent demand for waiving off a Rs 1275 crore central loan on which the state government has to pay around Rs 400 crore as servicing charge.

SRINAGAR, PTI adds: This will be Mr Vajpayee's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the BJP-led coalition took over at the Centre in March this year.

Meanwhile, the Hurriyat Conference has called for a general strike tomorrow.

A party spokesman said that the strike has been called for a "mark of protest against the alleged rigid and uncalled for approach" of the government in finding an amicable and early solution to the Kashmir problem.

The Prime Minister's visit to Kashmir takes place against the backdrop of escalation in skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops along the Line of Control and the international border in the Jammu region.

Kargil in Ladakh and Uri, Tangdhar and Karnah in north Kashmir have witnessed intermittent exchange of fire between the two sides, sources said.

On his visit to the border areas, the Prime Minister would be accompanied by Defence Minister George Fernandes and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, sources said, adding Mr Vajpayee will also attend a high level meeting of various security agencies involved in anti-military operations in the state.