Jawan, woman killed in Pak firing
SRINAGAR, Sept 5 — In a fresh spate of firing along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, at least two persons, including an Army jawan and a woman, were killed in Kargil last evening, while six were injured.

Militants threaten to kill labourers
Sarthal-Bhaderwah road work
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Sept 5 — Having been unnerved by the decision of the government to set up a cantonment in Bhaderwah subdivision of the troubled Doda district, militants have renewed their campaign against the road construction work in the district.

A group of armed militants recently caught hold of labourers who were working on the Sarthal-Bhaderwah road and threatened to kill them if they did not stop the construction work.

The scared labourers later approached their contractors and security forces to either provide them with security cover or to allow them to work elsewhere.

It may be recalled that last month militants had killed 35 labourers who were engaged in the construction of the strategic Chamba-Bhaderwah road. These labourers were killed at Kalaban and Satrundi villages of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh.

According to reports available here, militants are opposed to the road construction work in the mountainous terrain of Doda district as they fear the mobility of security forces would improve after the construction of road links. At present, three subdivisions of Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Doda are linked with one another. Hundreds of villages, have no road links. This comes in the way of security forces, fighting militancy.

In the absence of proper motorable road links in the area, militants have enjoyed freedom in movement from one hilly belt to another as security forces are not in a position to travel to distant places at short notice.

Moreover, the construction programme provides jobs to many people and the militants seem to be in favour of squeezing job avenues so that they could lure the youth to their side.

The militants know that once Sarthal in Kishtwar is linked by a motorable road with Bhaderwah it would mean linking major part of Doda district with Chamba in Himachal Pradesh and that could pose problems for the insurgents.

Jawan, woman killed in Pak firing
TNS and agencies

SRINAGAR, Sept 5 — In a fresh spate of firing along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, at least two persons, including an Army jawan and a woman, were killed in Kargil last evening, while six were injured.

A defence spokesman said here today that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing in Kargil sector yesterday. An Army vehicle was hit near Kaksar on the Srinagar-Kargil highway. The vehicle was damaged and one soldier was killed. Three soldiers in the vehicle were wounded.

A woman was killed and three civilians were injured in the firing from across the border near Kargil. A number of residents of Kargil who had returned to their homes during the recent days after a respite in the firing and shelling, have again sought refuge in safer areas.

Reports from Karna Sector in North Kashmir district of Kupwara said Pakistani troops resorted to firing last evening. However, there was no damage caused as a result of the firing from across the line of control (LoC).

Elsewhere, over 12 pedestrians were injured in a grenade explosion at the Batmaloo bus stand today. The police said the grenade aimed at a vehicle of the security forces missed the target and exploded on the road. At least 13 pedestrians were injured.

Two persons, including a civilian and a counter-insurgent, were killed in a clash in Sonawari area of Baramulla district yesterday. Three houses were gutted in the village as a result of the clash.

Militants shot at and critically wounded two persons at Pattan in Baramulla and in Kulgam in Anantnag district.

They also attacked a police picket at Fagsoo-Thathri in Doda district.

Three militants, two from Kathua and another from Pulwama, were arrested by the security forces. Four hideouts, three in the frontier district of Kupwara and another at Baramulla, were destroyed.

The spokesman said 12 kg of RDX, four assault rifles, six grenades of different types, four improvised explosive devices, four remote-controlled devices, 20 detonators and ammunition were recovered from the arrested militants.