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Wednesday,
January 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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13 militants among 15 killed in J&K Pakistani
troops lying low Papers
filed for Jammu LS seat Fire
destroys radio station Villagers
take part in literacy workshop
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13 militants among 15 killed in J&K Srinagar, January 22 Two JeM commanders — self-styled deputy commander Hyder-ul-Islam and tehsil commander Sajad Ali — were killed in an encounter with security forces at Chamalwas in Banihal area of Doda district in the Jammu region last night, the spokesman said. He said two AK assault rifles, four loaded magazines, three grenades and a wireless set were seized from the possession of the killed militants, both belonged to the Mianwali area of Pakistan. In a major encounter, the spokesman said security forces shot dead five
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants during search operations in the Surankote area of Poonch district today. |
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Pakistani
troops lying low Jammu, January 22 Official reports said Head Constable Arjun Singh and Constable S.K. Jha were shifted to the Army Hospital where they were operated upon. It was for the second time during the past three days that the Pakistani troops opened fire on a BSF patrol in the same area. Earlier, one BSF soldier was injured. The BSF jawans retaliated and hit a couple of Pakistani observation posts and bunkers. According to official sources, though during the past four days Pakistani mortar guns were silent along the entire LoC, the Pakistani agencies had brought nearly 2,000 Kashmiri youths to the launching pads across Uri, Kupwara and Tangdhar in the Kashmir valley and across the Poonch and Rajouri sectors in the Jammu region. These youths had been brought from the training camps to be pushed into Jammu and Kashmir. Since the border infiltration routes are buried under heavy snow and the Indian troops have strengthened patrolling, the agencies across the LoC have not been able to help these youths, equipped with arms and ammunition, to enter into the Indian territory. The sources said the Pakistani troops were lying low to encourage the Indian authorities to pull back additional forces so that the militants could sneak into Jammu and Kashmir. The sources said the idea of pushing into this state Kashmiri youths was to show to the world that the armed campaign was being launched by the local youths and Pakistan had no hand in it. Secondly, reports had reached Pakistan that foreign mercenaries operating in Jammu and Kashmir were in a deep predicament following the suspension of material and financial aid from across the border. They claimed that the militants were under pressure and if operations on a massive scale were ordered against them, the security situation could improve further. Meanwhile, the security forces achieved a major success when in an operation against the militants, they eliminated five dreaded rebels belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba at Solhi Marhot village of the Swarankot area in Poonch today. Meanwhile, a report from Srinagar said 11 persons, including eight militants and an SPO, were killed while the security forces averted two major tragedies in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. An official spokesman said the security forces and the Special Operation Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police killed a militant each at Adoora Kulgam, Wanihama and Dangam Shopian last evening. Two AK rifles, a pistol, a wireless set and three magazines were recovered from the slain militants. He said one security jawan also sustained bullet wounds in the Shopian encounter. In an encounter after a search party was fired upon by the militants at Gambir Muglian village this morning, three militants and a civilian, Mohammad Sidiq, were killed. The spokesman said the beheaded body of a special police officer, Mohammad Nazim, was recovered from Salwah Mohalla Moachian this morning while the ultras killed Mohammad Afzal at Morha in Surankote last evening. Two militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed during a search operation at Chamalwas Banihal village last evening. Two AK rifles, four loaded magazines, three grenades and a wireless set were recovered from the site of the encounter. A BSF spokesman said an IED checking party of 84 Battalion detected a 3.5 kg remote-controlled powerful explosive device containing RDX under a culvert near Bismallah Colony at Sopore on the Baramulla-Kupwara road this morning. Another major tragedy was averted when the security forces defused a powerful IED fitted with an oxygen cylinder and planted under a culvert on the Khandi-Palma road in Rajouri district this morning. |
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Papers filed
for Jammu LS seat Jammu, January 22 The Congress candidate, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, a former minister, was accompanied by a group of over 1,000 supporters to the office of the returning officer for filing the nomination paper. The
BJP candidate, Dr Nirmal Singh, marched to the office of the returning
officer from the party headquarters to file his nomination paper. The
ruling National Conference candidate, Ch Talib Hussain, a former
minister, also filed his nomination paper. Mr Dhanraj Bhargotra of the
Janata Dal, supported by the Jammu Statehood Front, too filed the
papers. While Ch Talib Hussain and Mr Bhargotra do not face dissent
within their respective organisations, the dissensions in the state
unit of the BJP and the Congress have further heightened over the
distribution of ticket. Dr Nirmal Singh is said to have managed to get ticket from the BJP leadership following intervention from the RSS lobby. Veiled threats issued by the RSS prevailed upon the BJP leadership to ignore the support Mr Chander Mohan Sharma had received from the Union Minister for Food Processing, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta. In
case of the Congress, the dice was cast in favour of Mr Madan Lal
Sharma following the support he received from the PCC chief, Mohammad
Shafi Qureshi, and the AICC General Secretary, Ms Mohsina Kidwai.
Senior dissident leaders have blamed Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad for having
ditched Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Senior Vice-President, who was thought
to be the party’s strong candidate. By fielding Mr Madan Lal
Sharma, the Congress leadership in Delhi has supported the loyalists.
During the past month the dissidents in the state unit of the Congress
had agreed to drop their demand for the ouster of Mr Qureshi if 10
leaders of the group were inducted into the PCC and their leader Mr
Mangat Ram Sharma was given ticket for the Jammu seat. Though a
large section in the National Conference has not been impressed by the
choice of the candidate, it dare not come out in the open against the
Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is also the President of the
party. Initially the name of Mr R.S. Chib, a former minister, was on
the top of the list but several ministers from the Jammu region went
against Mr Chib. The supporters of Mr Chib argue that by picking up
a Muslim candidate, the National Conference leadership has sent a
wrong signal to people of the Jammu region because it has already four
members in the Lok Sabha who are Muslims and the two Rajya Sabha
members from the state are also Muslims. Reports say Dr Abdullah has
asked his party legislators and ministers from the Jammu Lok Sabha
constituency to ensure the victory of the party candidate, failing
which some of them will not get ticket for contesting the elections
due to be held within eight months. |
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Fire destroys
radio station Srinagar, January 22 Official sources said fire reduced the building, mostly built of wood, to ashes. The fire started from a room where a kerosene barrel caught fire due to leakage, the sources added. There were no reports of any casualties or injuries in the incident. The studio and other equipment of the station were also destroyed in the blaze. The sources said some alternative arrangements had been made for the transmission station to air recorded programmes.
UNI |
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Villagers
take part in literacy workshop Kathua, January 22 The valedictory function was presided over by the District Development Commissioner, Kathua, and Chairman of the samiti, Mr B.D. Sharma. In his speech, he stressed upon the importance of education and said it was the essence of life. As many as 200 literacy kits were distributed on the occasion. |
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