J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Three ultras shot, tragedy averted
Srinagar, July 18
Three militants and two security men were killed while the security forces averted a major tragedy in the Kashmir valley since overnight. An official spokesman said a joint search party of the Army and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police was fired upon by militants at Bami village near Shopian in Pulwama district this afternoon.

Yatra security being reviewed
Jammu, July 18
“Given 20 items, use them on the yatra”. This is the cryptic and semi-coded message a militant outfit in the Kashmir valley has received from across the border, according to official sources.

Three ultras shot, tragedy averted

Srinagar, July 18
Three militants and two security men were killed while the security forces averted a major tragedy in the Kashmir valley since overnight.

An official spokesman said a joint search party of the Army and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police was fired upon by militants at Bami village near Shopian in Pulwama district this afternoon.

The security forces retaliated and in the ensuing clash, three militants were killed. One SOG personnel also lost his life.

Militants attacked a security force patrol at Durhama, 7 km from Bandipora today resulting in the death of a jawan and injuries to another. The ultras, however, escaped, official sources said and added the entire area had been cordoned off to nab them.

The security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and later defused a powerful improvised explosive device planted by militants at Parray Mohalla near Pattan in Baramula district early this morning.

JAMMU: At least two militants were killed and huge cache of arms and ammunition seized in two separate encounters near Jammu on Wednesday.

Official sources said on a specific information, the security forces launched a search operation in the Purane Kothe area early this morning. On seeing the forces approaching them the militants attacked the troops. The forces retaliated and killed two ultras. UNI

Yatra security being reviewed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 18
“Given 20 items, use them on the yatra”. This is the cryptic and semi-coded message a militant outfit in the Kashmir valley has received from across the border, according to official sources.

The message was received soon after President, General Pervez Musharraf returned to Islamabad.

This has made functionaries of the state government and various security agencies to review the security arrangements for the Amarnath pilgrims right from Jammu to the holy cave. “We have already undertaken elaborate security measures and besides the setting up of security pickets on hill tops on the Srinagar-Pahalgam route. The security forces have been carrying out round-the-clock patrolling on the mountain route from Pahalgam to the holy cave and from the Baltal side,” said a senior police officer.

He admitted that following threat of violence from militant groups “we have been reviewing the security arrangements for the pilgrims on a regular basis.”

Official sources said since July 2, when the one-month pilgrimage started over 81,000 yatris had ‘darshan’ of the cave till today. They said barring a couple of IED blasts near Banihal and around Chandanwari the pilgrims had a safe travel from Jammu to the cave.

They admitted that things had become easy after Hizbul-Mujahidden outfit leaders directed its activists to ensure safe route for the yatris.

State government functionaries said “Nothing definite can be said about the plan of the militants who keep on receiving directions from the agencies across the border.” They said “nothing is to be left to chance. We are ready to meet any challenge because the militants may attempt to disrupt the yatra which could fulfil their desire of creating bigger turmoil.”

In case the need arose additional companies of the security forces would be deployed on yatra route.