J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Three kidnapped shepherds killed
Jammu, June 8
Terrorists kidnapped four shepherds and later killed three of them in Satrota village of the Billawar tehsil of Kathua district today.

George to visit forward areas
Jammu, June 8
The security forces have busted about 150 militant hideouts in various parts of the Jammu region during the past one month. Out of these 130 hideouts, including fortified bunkers, have been demolished in Poonch and Rajouri districts, according to Defence Ministry sources.

Another NC leader joins Congress
Srinagar, June 8
The National Conference today received yet another jolt when its former provincial vice- president Darshan Sharma rejoined the Congress after 23 years alleging that the opposition party was “deeply entrenched in dynastic propagation” and was no more a people’s party.

Attack on jawans: 2 cops held
Srinagar, June 8
The Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested two of their colleagues for their alleged involvement in attacks on the security forces, including a suicide attack in Kupwara earlier this week, a top police official said today.

Three kidnapped shepherds killed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 8
Terrorists kidnapped four shepherds and later killed three of them in Satrota village of the Billawar tehsil of Kathua district today.

The bodies of the shepherds have been recovered in the Serigali area which is a trek route to Doda. The police was trying to trace the fourth shephard.

Those killed have been identified as Prakash Singh (50), Sudesh Kumar (28) and Hans Raj. Dhian Singh was still untraceable.

The terrorists first entered their shelters in the village and then asked for the food and money. On being denied, they kidnapped four of them and killed three at a distance.

Srinagar: Nine persons, including two militants and a soldier, were killed while the security forces busted four underground hide-outs and arrested two ultras in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, official sources said on Sunday.

An official spokesman said militants kidnapped and later killed three persons — Dhyan Singh, Sudesh, alias Bittu and Hans Raj — at Raya Sayal Billawar in Kathua district on Sunday. Militants also shot dead Prakash Singh at Chanama Seri Galla in the same district late last night, according to a UNI report.

The police recovered the body of Zahoor Ahmad Lone at Wanigam Kreeri while a woman, Dilshada Bano was shot dead by militants at her Machipora Handwara residence last evening. Her son was also injured in the firing.

Militants fired upon a patrol party near Shamshan Ghat Karan Nagar last night killing a jawan on the spot and injuring another.

However, the security forces gunned down two militants in an encounter near the Line of Control at Shala Bhutoo in the frontier district of Kupwara last night. Two AK rifles, four magazines and 120 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

The security forces busted four underground hide-outs and seized some arms and ammunition in Baramula while one militant each was arrested at Kharpora Kokernag and Handwara last night.

George to visit forward areas
M.L. Kak

Jammu, June 8
The security forces have busted about 150 militant hideouts in various parts of the Jammu region during the past one month. Out of these 130 hideouts, including fortified bunkers, have been demolished in Poonch and Rajouri districts, according to Defence Ministry sources.

While claiming that groups of militants were on the run in Poonch and Rajouri districts, the sources said most of the hideouts busted were unmanned. They said during the past one month nearly 125 militants, including 63 in the Hill Kaka area, were killed. They said field reports indicated that militants, who had entered villages in Poonch and Rajouri districts, besides those in Doda and upper reaches of the Udhampur belt, had taken shelter in the alpine forest areas in these districts.

The sources said huge quantities of weapons, ammunition, explosives, besides huge stocks of rice, wheat atta, sugar, ghee, tea, pulses blankets and cell phones were recovered from the hideouts. They said the rebels were in possession of highly-sophisticated cell phones.

It is learnt that soldiers and officers from 15 and 16 Corps, who were involved in the operations launched in the Hill Kaka area, have received accolades from the Army headquarters and the Defence Ministry.

In a bid to encourage troops to further intensify anti-insurgency operations, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, is visiting several forward areas in Poonch and Rajouri districts tomorrow.

Meanwhile, police sources said there were several areas in upper reaches of Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Udhampur where militants, especially foreign mercenaries, had established their bases.

The sources said there were at least six areas in Poonch and Rajouri, most of them in the Surankot area, which had been converted into ‘free zone” by the militants. They admitted that the recent operations in the Hill Kaka area and the success the troops achieved in foiling several infiltration bids from across the LoC had forced a number of foreign mercenaries to abandon their plan of crossing back into Pakistan.

Another NC leader joins Congress

Srinagar, June 8
The National Conference today received yet another jolt when its former provincial vice- president Darshan Sharma rejoined the Congress after 23 years alleging that the opposition party was “deeply entrenched in dynastic propagation” and was no more a people’s party.

“I will resign today from the National Conference as I have joined the Congress,” Darshan Sharma told reporters here.

Darshan Sharma followed former NC Ministers Ajat Shatru Singh and R. Chib and senior politician Govind Ram Sharma into the Congress fold.

He said the National Conference was deeply entrenched in dynastic rule and the party top brass was not paying any attention to views from outside the Abdullah family.

He said the PDP-Congress Government, which assumed power last November, was sensitive to people’s problems.

On his decision to rejoin the Congress, he said it was the “only party in the country which has the interests of Jammu and Kashmir close to its heart.” PTI

Attack on jawans: 2 cops held

Srinagar, June 8
The Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested two of their colleagues for their alleged involvement in attacks on the security forces, including a suicide attack in Kupwara earlier this week, a top police official said today.

ASI Ghulam Rasool Wani, Station House Officer at Sogam police station in the district and Abdul Ahad, a Munshi were arrested two days ago for their involvement in the foiled attack on Lalpora police station on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, S.D.S. Jamwal said.

During interrogation, Wani and Ahad confessed to their involvement in the attack on Lalpora police station and the attack on CRPF personnel recently in which two jawans were killed and four injured, Mr Jamwal said adding that they might be involved in more cases.

Mr Jamwal said the two had accompanied a militant to the police station a few days before the attack to familiarise him with the area and facilitated his movement around security frisking points also.

The suicide attack was foiled by the alert police personnel who even managed to snatch the rifle from the militant. But the assailant managed to flee.

Mr Jamwal said the militant was arrested following identification by one of the cops in the Kupwara market two days ago which led to arrest of the two cops.

The cops would be charged with murder, attempt to murder, waging war against the country, harbouring militants under the Arms Act. PTI