Five ultras among 7 killed in valley
SRINAGAR, Oct 2 — Seven persons, including five ultras, were killed and two others injured even as insurgents detonated a landmine and made an abortive attempt to abduct a villager in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

Town steeped in history
UDHAMPUR: In 1822, the state of Bandraltha (Ramnagar) was captured from Raja Chander Dehar Dev by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and given to Raja. Suchet Singh, a brother of Maharaja Gulab Singh. Raja Suchet Singh constructed a palace and a fort and renamed Bandraltha as Ramnagar.

Five ultras among 7 killed in valley

SRINAGAR, Oct 2 (PTI) — Seven persons, including five ultras, were killed and two others injured even as insurgents detonated a landmine and made an abortive attempt to abduct a villager in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

Security forces arrested nine militants, including a foreign mercenary, along with arms and ammunition and foiled an attempt to set off another landmine explosion.

Panic gripped Dalgate and its adjacent areas in the city last evening when an allegedly tipsy Sub-Inspector of the Special Operations Group went on a shooting spree with his service revolver, firing several rounds in the air on the Boulevard road.

No one was hurt in the shooting, security sources said.

No action has yet been taken against the policeman who immediately escaped from the scene in his official vehicle, they added.

Security forces shot dead five ultras and recovered some arms and ammunition from them during search operations in bordering district of Rajouri in the Jammu region last evening.

The spokesman said, the police recovered an unidentified body from the bank of river Azad in Poonch district and another identified as that of Mohammad Ashraf Shah from Saipora-Kunzar village in Badgam district of central Kashmir today.

The cause behind the killing of Shah, a resident of Kani Gund (Beerwa), was not known immediately, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said militants shot at and wounded a person outside his house at Karfalli Mohalla in downtown Srinagar last night. Bhat was hospitalised and his condition was stated to be stable.

Militants detonated a landmine at Zuhama-Kreeri, damaging a security vehicle. A police constable was also injured in the blast, the spokesman said.

A mine laid by militants on the Kel road in Pulwama district was detected and neutralised by experts last evening, foiling the militants plan to trigger an explosion.

In another insurgency-related incident, militants barged into the home of Ghulam Mohiuddin in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district last night intending to kidnap him. However, the inmates raised the alarm, forcing the ultras to flee.

The spokesman said, the intelligence field unit of CID counter-intelligence Kashmir raided a militant hideout and arrested a Pak-trained militant of Hizbullah, Abdul Majid Allai alias Afroz from Srinagar last evening.

The militant had recently infiltrated into the valley via the Kupwara sector after receiving training in handling of sophisticated arms and laying of mines in Pakistan.

Six militants, including a foreign national, were nabbed by the security forces during combing operations in the Pathri area of Kupwara. Two more militants, one each from Botakadal in Srinagar and Nowpora-Sopore in Baramulla, were arrested.

Eighteen grenades were recovered from a militant hideout during search operations in Doda district, he added.

JAMMU: A girl was injured when Pakistani rangers fired on Indian border outposts (BOPs) and villages along the International Border in Kathua district of the Jammu region on Thursday evening, a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said here today.

A bullet fired by the Pakistani rangers hit the girl, who was in the Londi area. She was hospitalised and was out of danger, he said.

Indian troops returned fire and the exchange of fire continued intermittently till early this morning, he said.

CHB urged to give houses to Kashmiri migrants
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Estate Office has urged the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) to provide dwellings on rent to Kashmiri migrants living in various community centres in the city.

The Estate Office in a letter to the CHB, urged the board to provide houses to the migrants on a "nominal" rent.

The proposal, which is still at initial stages, is likely to take some more months as the CHB is to work out the details of the project, according to sources.

It may be recalled that several migrant families, who were displaced on account of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, had been putting up in community centres of sectors 40, 20 and 29 for the past many years.

The residents' welfare associations of these sectors had approached the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, many times, urging the civic body to vacate the community centres so that they could be used for community use.

The area councillors of these sectors had also raised the issue at meetings of the civic body. Subsequently, the MCC wrote to the Chandigarh Administration to get the community centres vacated following which the Estate Office is understood to have written the letter to the board.

Town steeped in history
By Ramesh Gupta

UDHAMPUR: In 1822, the state of Bandraltha (Ramnagar) was captured from Raja Chander Dehar Dev by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and given to Raja. Suchet Singh, a brother of Maharaja Gulab Singh. Raja Suchet Singh constructed a palace and a fort and renamed Bandraltha as Ramnagar.

According to gazetteer of Kashmir, the square and turreted castle stands on one side of the flat and opposite to it a few hundred yards away is a palace.

Ramnagar fell into the hands of the Sikhs and about the same time Gulab Singh became the master of Jammu. The old Raja fled to Sunbathu near Shimla and died there. Suchet Singh, brother of Gulab Singh, was made the Raja of Ramnagar by Ranjit Singh, when he visited the area. A large bazaar and several streets at that time were built when Suchet Singh became the Raja. He wisely continued the work of its re-establishment by constructing new and comfortable places. Moreover to render them attractive to increase the population, he made Ramnagar a city of refuge and populated it with people from Peshawar, Tonk Baner, Multan, Lahore, Kashmir and other places.

Ramnagar is a hilly area. In its east was situated Basohli, the state of Raja Billowarya and Bhadoo, the state of Bhadwals. In the north it faced the state of Mankote (Ramkote) under the reign of Raja Mankotia and on the west it was connected with the boundaries of Bhathi, Kirmchi and Chenani. About 10 km, away from Udhampur in the north at the foothills of Ladha, there existed the area of Bhathi and Kirmchi. Raja Kishik was the founder of Kirmchi. Kirmchi is a small village now which is famous for old temples.

Ramnager town two these days has emerged as a good trade centre. The area is rich in fruits, vegetables, eggs, and anardana which are exported. The Dudu Basantgarh area is famous for woollen blankets and other forest products like katha, belladona, resin and rewand. The Udhampur-Ramnagar road provides sole communication link to the area. However, another link road from Chenani to Ramnagar via Latti, Dudu and Majouri is also likely to be ready for normal traffic soon. The people of Ramnagar are very patient, co-operative and present a picture of harmony.