Rockets fired at Army camp in J&K
SRINAGAR, Jan 15 — In a daredevil act, militants today fired five rockets at an Army camp in central Srinagar even as 12 people were killed in militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, official sources said here today.

• Special session on cash crunch sought
• CBI probe sought into dera affairs
• 2 schoolboys die in mishap

Rockets fired at Army camp in J&K

SRINAGAR, Jan 15 (PTI) — In a daredevil act, militants today fired five rockets at an Army camp in central Srinagar even as 12 people were killed in militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, official sources said here today.

The militants fired five rockets towards the Army camp at Haft Chinar adjacent to the Batmaloo area in central Srinagar today, the sources said, adding that there was no casualty on either side.

The explosion rocked the uptown followed by a gunbattle between troops and militants for a brief period before the latter escaped from the scene, said the sources.

The troops, accompanied by the BSF and the local police, immediately cordoned off the entire area and carried out a house-to-house search to nab the culprits for the attack.

Today’s attack on the Army camp was the second within a fortnight in the vicinity of Bakshi Stadium, venue for forthcoming Republic Day parade.

Confirming the attack, Brig-General staff of 15 Corps A.K. Chopra told PTI that militants used "rifle grenades" which were fired from a distance of 400 to 500 metres towards the camp.

While two grenades exploded at the boundary wall of the camp causing damage to it, two others fell short of the boundary wall, he said, adding another grenade landed in an abandoned house, causing partial damage to it.

Elsewhere, three persons were killed and one was injured when unidentified gunmen forced their entry into a house at Gossu in Pulwama district of South Kashmir late last night, an official spokesman said here today.

Two foreign mercenaries were killed during an encounter with security forces in Udhampur district of the Jammu region last evening, the spokesman said.

Security forces also gunned down a Pakistani militant in the Surankote area of Poonch district last evening, he said, adding some arms and ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter.

Four civilians — two in Anantnag (South Kashmir) and one each at Sumbal and Handwara (North Kashmir) — were gunned down by militants yesterday.

Three persons were injured when militants fired at them in Baramula district in North Kashmir yesterday.

Two security personnel were killed in an encounter yesterday at Sopore, apple-town in North Kashmir.

A self-styled company commander of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen was arrested last evening during a raid on his hideout at Khanyar in downtown Srinagar last evening.

An Army patrol party recovered a base plate of 82-mm mortar and a three-inch mortar bomb from Imberzalwari in Baramula district today.

Special session on cash crunch sought
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 15 — Expressing concern over the current economic situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the CPM leader and senior member of the State Assembly, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, has urged the Governor, Mr Girish Chander Saxena, and the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to convene a special session of the state legislature to discuss the pros and cons of the cash crunch.

In a separate communication to the Governor and the Chief Minister, Mr Tarigami has said that the existing financial stringency may effect the development works and cause great discomfort to the people. He wanted the Governor to use his constitutional powers and summon a special session of the state legislature where the matter would be discussed.

He said only the state legislature could evolve measures for meeting the cash crunch and any delay in such exercise could prove dear for the security of the state.

42 get VSM, Sena Medals
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 15 — As many as 42 officials and jawans today received VSM and Sena Medals at an investiture in connection with Army Day at Udhampur.

The General Officer-in-Commanding, Northern Command, Lt-Gen H.M. Khanna, pinned the medals on five officers, five JCOs and 27 jawans. Three received the award posthumously.

They were given the awards for their services in fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Army Commander said the 10-year Pak-sponsored insurgency had been tackled to a large extent. He said Pakistan was fighting the proxy war with the "help of foreign media" through which stories were dished out to give an impression that rebels were continuing to attack the India security forces.

He said the "role of the Army is almost over and it is for political parties, the state administration and the police to take suitable measures which will build confidence among the people," adding that the Army would be withdrawn from the state shortly.

CBI probe sought into dera affairs
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 15 — State Akali Dal leader Sant Singh Teg has demanded a CBI inquiry into the affairs of Dera Nangli Sahib.

In a statement here yesterday, Mr Teg demanded that a trust or a board should be set up to supervise the functioning of the dera.

The Akali leader demanded that the working of the Gurdwara Parbandhak Board should also be probed.

He also sought a CBI inquiry into the murder of Akali leader Harnam Singh and Mr S.S. Johar, a senior government officer.

2 schoolboys die in mishap

JAMMU, Jan 15 (UNI) — At least two school students were killed and 15 injured, four of them seriously, when their Matador collided with a truck here yesterday.

Among the injured include the school Principal and a teacher.

A police spokesman said that Ravinder Singh of Digiania and Ashvani Gupta of Nai Basti, both students of Cooperative School, Greater Kalash, were killed on the spot.

The four seriously injured were admitted to Government Medical College here while those with minor injuries were discharged from district hospital, Gandhi Nagar, after first aid.