J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Id celebrations peaceful in J&K
JAMMU, Dec 28 — Id-ul-Fitr was celebrated in the troubled state with gaiety. Large congregations were held in scores of mosques. While the main function was held in the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, in Jammu majority of people offered prayers in Idgah.

KZF militant shot dead
JAMMU, Dec 28 — The police foiled a major Pak plan of kicking up communal violence by killing one militant and arresting three, belonging to the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

4 Lashkar ultras shot
SRINAGAR, Dec 28 — Six militants and two special police officers (SPOs) were among 11 persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where two counter-insurgents were abducted since last evening.

Id celebrations peaceful in J&K
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 28 — Id-ul-Fitr was celebrated in the troubled state with gaiety. Large congregations were held in scores of mosques. While the main function was held in the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, in Jammu majority of people offered prayers in Idgah.

The day passed without any incident of violence. People were seen praying for peace after the prayers were over. The Mirwaiz Kashmir, Molvi Umar Farooq, presided over the congregation in Jamia Masjid.

After the congregation was over more than 10,000 persons took out a procession shouting pro-Pakistan, pro-Azadi slogans. The slogan shouting people marched to the old city and later were directed by the Mirwaiz to disperse.

Another major prayer meeting was held in the historic Hazratbal shrine.

In Jammu, ministers, senior bureaucrats and legislators were among several thousand people who offered namaz at Idgah. Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, and Mr Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Food and Supplies, were the first to greet Muslims at Idgah in Jammu.

During the last two days shopkeepers in various parts of the state had a brisk business with people, especially women and children doing shopping.

The Imam of the Jamia mosque in Idgah in Jammu addressing the congregation said the fasts observed during Ramzan purified the body and mind. He said the peace process initiated by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, would usher in normalcy in the state. People who were present greeted it with a loud “amen.”

A number of non-Muslims had a taste of typical wazwaan in the houses of their Muslim friends and neighbours. Even in the Kashmir valley where the population of non-Muslims has decreased following exodus of over three lakh Pandits witnessed scenes of communal amity where Hindus hugged their Muslim friends and neighbours.

SRINAGAR: Despite chilly conditions and intermittent rains, Muslims dressed in their colourful bests thronged different mosques and shrines in the valley and the Jammu region since early morning to offer prayers.

Thousands of people offered prayers in Jamia Masjid, the grand old mosque in down town Srinagar, and the holy shrine of Hazratbal on the outskirts of the city.

Seasonist leaders, including those from the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, addressed the congregations and paid rich tributes to those who lost their lives during the decade-long turbulence in the state.

The people also offered prayers in the border villages of Kupwara and other far-flung areas despite snowfall since late last night, official reports received here said.

The security forces had put up banners and posters greeting people on the occasion.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena and the Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah felicitated people on the auspicious occasion.

The Governor said this year’s Id was bring celebrated at a time when earnest efforts were being made to give peace a chance.

Calling upon the people to rededicate themselves to bring about normalcy in the state, Dr Abdullah noted with satisfaction the growing realisation among the youth to distance themselves from the cult of violence perpetrated from across the border.

The Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr P.L. Handoo, and several ministers and legislators also greeted the people on the auspicious occasion.

KZF militant shot dead
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 28 — The police foiled a major Pak plan of kicking up communal violence by killing one militant and arresting three, belonging to the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

The police said a group of militants had sneaked into the Indian territory from across the R.S. Pora border. The police, on receipt of information laid an ambush and in the encounter killed one rebel, who happened to be a Sikh. He was identified, as Manjit Singh, alias Kala, a close associate of KZF chief Ranjit Singh Neeta. Two others were arrested and both of them were apparently non-Sikhs.

During the preliminary investigations the two arrested militants confessed that they had crossed into the Jammu sector to organise communal violence not only in Jammu but in parts of Punjab.

According to DIG Police, Dr S.P. Vaid, these militants were involved in bomb explosions in Sirhind, Pathankot(in Punjab) and in Jammu last year.

According to the eyewitness accounts these three militants had been roaming in village Dablehar in the R.S.Pora sector for the past four days. They had even participated in prabhat pheris in the village. The villagers had questioned them as they had seen their faces for the first time. The three militants had informed the villagers that they belonged to the special operation group of the police and they had been posted to provide security cover.

Police sources said that Manjit Singh was actually a Christian youth belonging to Sialkot in Pakistan.

Two pistols and some ammunition were seized from the militants.

In another incident four militants were killed by the troops in the Kalakot area today. Reports said that these militants were trying to sneak into an inhabited village for carrying out killing but before they could execute their plan they were gunned down by the troops.

4 Lashkar ultras shot

SRINAGAR, Dec 28 (PTI) — Six militants and two special police officers (SPOs) were among 11 persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where two counter-insurgents were abducted since last evening.

Four militants of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed when ultras engaged Army troops in an encounter at Salaria village in Jammu region’s Rajouri district early this morning, an official spokesman said.

He said the militants first fired on an Army party wounding two jawans and forcing the troops to retaliate in self-defence.

The spokesman said four AK assault rifles, some ammunition and grenades were seized from the scene.

In another encounter with the police in Jammu on Id day, a foreign mercenary identified as Akal of Sialkote (Pakistan) was killed at R.S. Pora sector.

The spokesman said militants shot dead two special police officers, Shakeel Ahmad and Shafikat Hussain, in their villages at Ranbirgarh in Baramula district and Darhal in Rajouri.

Police Constable Ghulam Rasool fell to bullets of militants who raided his in-laws house at Sufipora-Pahalgam in Anantnag district last night, the spokesman said.

The police picked up the bullet-riddled body of a foreign mercenary in Launcha village in Rajouri yesterday.

At least five persons, including a girl, were injured when unidentified militants hurled a grenade at a public telephone booth at Bhaderwah in Doda district this evening.