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Friday,
August 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Curfew-like situation
ahead of I-Day 2
militants, jawan killed Police
smashes ISI network in Doda Malik
falls out with Geelani NC
captures Kargil council post
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Bandh
observed to protest temple burning J&K
schools to have consumer clubs
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Curfew-like situation ahead of I-Day Srinagar, August 14 People were seen rushing to their houses immediately after noon in anticipation of trouble on the eve of the Independence Day. Shopkeepers also closed their establishments in the busy Koker Bazar, Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Budshah Chowk, Lal Chowk, Residency Road and other markets in the Civil Line area much before their daily schedule. A wholesale merchant at Koker Bazar, Mohammad
Maqbool, a resident of Nowgam, said that he would reopen the shop only on Saturday morning. “We, the shopkeepers of this area have decided to call it a day and go home early,” he said, adding “Why should we risk our lives.” There were very few sales today as compared to other days because the customers from villages did not come, he said. The roadside fruit sellers also left for homes early because there were no customers and a tense atmosphere prevailed in the city. However, it was a holiday time for the shopkeepers of Hari Singh High Street Chowk who left for Pahalgam for two-day picnic, Mehraj Uddin, a general store owner, said. Government employees also left for their homes early today in view of the threat perception. Transport service was also affected as less number of vehicles could be seen on the roads. However, a security force jawan on duty at Residency Road said the lesser number of people on roads meant less trouble as when there was a rush of people, militants got opportunity to hurl grenades or open fire and later mix with the crowd.
— UNI |
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2
militants, jawan killed Jammu, August 14 A militant and an Army jawan were killed in an encounter at the Tain area of Mendhar tehsil in Poonch district last night, the sources said. One AK rifle with three magazines and some hand grenades were seized from the slain militant, whose identity is yet to be ascertained. The Army jawan, who lost his life has been identified as Vishnu Gokla, they said. In another incident, militants barged into the house of Mohammad Riaz at Thamblote village in Mendhar tehsil last night and shot him dead. A manhunt has been launched to track down the militants, who managed to escape. The Border Security Force (BSF) launched a search and cordon operation in Gool forests of Udhampur district last night on specific information about presence of a group of heavily armed militants in the area, the sources said. An encounter took place in which one Pakistan-trained hardcore militant identified as Liyaqat Ali of Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) was killed, the sources said. One AK rifle, two magazines, 113 rounds, one wireless set and seven grenades were recovered from him, the sources said and added the operation to track down other militants is still on. In another incident, militants barged into the house of 55-year-old Noor Mohammad in Marhota village in Rajouri district last night and killed him, the sources said. Noor had married a widow recently against the militants’ threats, the sources said, adding troops had launched a search operation in the area. Meanwhile, a civilian was killed and three Army jawans injured in two powerful explosions in Poonch and Doda districts of J and K since last night, official sources said here today. A villager identified as Rajinder Singh (blacksmith) lifted some unclaimed shells lying in the fields in Ajot village in Poonch district last night and took them home, the sources said. Out of curiosity, he struck them with a hammer resulting in a powerful blast causing his death on the spot, they said. In another incident, an Army patrol party stepped on an improvised explosive device while on its way to Mahumangat forest belt in Doda this afternoon resulting in a powerful explosion in which three jawans were injured, the sources said. Militants also fired on police posts at Ind, Bhimdasa and Jigwala areas in Udhampur district last night, they said, adding the guards retaliated forcing the militants to flee without causing any casualty. SRINAGAR: A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was shot dead in an encounter with the security forces while ultras triggered off two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Kashmir valley today. The militant was killed during a search operation at Kandi in the frontier district of Kupwara. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militant. Meanwhile, militants made an abortive bid to blow up a vehicle carrying security force personnel at Kadar Kulgam, in Anantnag district, in South Kashmir today when they detonated a powerful IED which, however, exploded seconds after the vehicle passed the area and did not cause any damage. In another incident, one security jawan was injured when militants triggered a powerful IED at Rafiabad in Baramulla district today when security personnel were patrolling the area. Sources said the entire area had been cordoned off and a massive hunt launched to nab the militants. The security forces also detected and later defused a four-kg IED in Sadapora today.
— PTI, UNI |
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Police smashes ISI network in Doda Jammu, August 14 Acting on specific information, the police rescued two new recruits — Mudasar of Patimihala village and Azad of Sangram Bhata village in Kishtwar tehsil of the district yesterday — SSP, Doda, Sunil Lumar said today. With the help of information received from them, the police identified three persons who were luring local boys to join the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. They included Imtiaz Ahmed, a private Arabic teacher, Shabir, the son of a sarpanch, and Mudasir. Assisted by the Rashtriya Rifles, the police arrested Imtiaz Ahmed and Mudasir, while Shabir was still missing, the SSP said, adding that his brother was the Lashkar area commander for the last three and a half years. A manhunt has been launched to apprehend Shabir. These motivators, under the directions of the ISI, had been engaged to recruit youth in the area for militancy and they are believed to be getting huge amounts of money in lieu of their services, intelligence officials said. Meanwhile, Mohammad Shraf, who was kidnapped a few days ago by militants from the Dalian Bajar area of Gandoh tehsil in Doda district, was rescued by the police and security forces from a forest area yesterday.
— PTI |
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Malik falls out with Geelani Jammu, August 14 The JKLF had launched a signature campaign, seeking participation of the representatives of the people of Kashmir in the proposed Indo-Pakistan dialogue. Malik had recently approached Geelani with the request that he should also sign the campaign papers. Reports said Geelani had refused to do so it, saying that the “campaign had been launched by the JKLF to enable it to remain in the limelight and thereby prolong its survival in the political field.” Inside reports said Geelani had fallen out with Malik because the latter had not supported him when the former had demanded the expulsion of the Peoples. Conference from the APHC on the charge of its leaders having participated in the last Assembly poll. Sources close to Geelani said the future course of action would be decided only after the Jamaat finalised its plan on the winding up of the political affairs committee and its stand on Geelani’s demand for the expulsion of Peoples Conference from the APHC. |
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NC captures Kargil council post Srinagar, August 14 Former Jammu and Kashmir Minister and NC Councillor Qamar Ali Akhoon bagged 13 votes while his rival candidate got 10 in the elections held this afternoon, official sources said. The KAHDC has 26 members. However, elections were held for only 23 constituencies as there was no candidate in three Zanaskar seats after the people of the area boycotted the elections held last month.
— UNI |
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Sepoy Beli Ram cremated after 35 years Devipur (Akhnoor), August 14 It was an unprecedented cremation of a soldier in the history of the armed forces as he was cremated 35 years after death. It was a sheer chance that remains of Beli Ram, who had died in an air crash in February, 1968, were recovered. Beli Ram’s wife Giano Devi sat with folded hands besides the remains, wrapped in the Tricolour, as a sea of humanity turned up at their mud house in the village to pay last respects. The body was flown to Pathankot from Manali in an IAF aircraft this morning and brought here in a Chetak helicopter of the Army in the afternoon. He was cremated with full military honours and given a gun salute by jawans of the Assam Rifles, when the pyre was lit by his nephew. Besides a large number of people, senior Army officers were also present at the cremation. The people lined up on both sides of the road as the remains were brought here from Akhnoor, where the GOC of the 10th Infantry Div, Maj-GenTej Sapru, laid a wreath on the body. Ms Tando Devi several times tried to have a glimpse of her son’s remains by lifting the plastic sheet in which these were wrapped. Beli Ram’s sisters wept bitterly and placed a rakhi on his body, wrapped in bandages when it was brought out of the plastic sheet. A village elder, Mr Baldev Singh, said no one had ever thought that the body of Beli Ram would be recovered, 35 years after the crash. “It is a miracle for all of us.” he said. He was thankful to the Army, which gave respect to the dead soldier and brought his body home from an inaccessible mountain glacier. The remains were scheduled to reach here at 11 am, but the helicopter landed about 1 pm as it could not take off from Manali due to bad weather. Beli Ram had died when the AN-12, in which he was flying from Leh to Chandigarh, crashed on February 7, 1968, on the south Dakka glacier in Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. There were 102 soldiers and crew members on the flight. So far only the skeletal remains of Beli Ram have been found by trekkers of the Mountaineering Institute at Manali. Pratibha Chauhan adds from Manali: “Except for Beli Ram’s body, we could not identify any other person as only pieces of bones and flesh, which have become leathery and bloated after remaining buried under snow for years, could be recovered,” said Colonel Chauhan, Director of the Mountaineering Institute. “Though Army personnel in the search team have returned, the Air Force personnel are expected back here tomorrow,” said Colonel Chauhan, who has been assisting in the search operation. He added that Dogra Scouts from the Sumdo battalion have returned to their location in Kinnaur. He said the presence of Lance Naik Kamal Singh Bhandari in the aircraft could be established as his bed holding was found intact. “Though the Army is trying to verify if the name of Lance Naik Bhandari figures in the manifest of the persons on board the aircraft, but from the documents found, he hails from Chamoli district in Garhwal and was in the Army Ordinance Corps. A joint team of the Army and the Air Force had for the past three days been undertaking Operation Salvage at the 16,500 feet high Dacca glacier to search for the remains of persons on board the aircraft. The Army, after searching for the missing aircraft, had suspended the operation six months after the crash, said Army sources. The recent search was carried out at the Dacca glacier, as the aircraft had crashed after hitting the Chander Bhaga-13 peak. The operation was undertaken after a team of climbers from the Mountaineering Institute chanced upon the remains of Beli Ram, whose identity could be established from his service documents. Following this, the Army decided to launch an operation to search for the remains of others and extricate the body of Beli Ram. It is, however, not certain whether the search operation would be wound up, as the defence authorities might wish to lift the wreckage of the aircraft from the glacier. |
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Bandh observed to protest temple burning Jammu, August 14 Members of both the communities downed shutters in the town after a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior citizens belonging to the two sides, they said. The community leaders, including chief of Anjuman-Islamia, asked the district authorities to probe into the burning of the 2000-year old Subernag temple and ensure the arrest of those responsible for it. The members of the two communities called upon people to maintain calm since such incidents aimed at communalising the situation. The town had a deserted look with people
preferring to remain indoors, the sources said.
— PTI |
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J&K
schools to have consumer clubs Jammu, August 14 Students of various schools in Jammu and Kashmir would be involved in various consumer welfare and protection activities by setting up consumer clubs in their respective schools, the minister said, while addressing a meeting of officers, NGOs and prominent citizens here yesterday. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, would provide financial assistance at the rate of Rs 10,000 per annum per club to the coordinating agency from the consumer welfare fund, he said. The clubs will organise and actively participate in consumer protection and awareness programmes and observe National Consumer Day on December 24 and World Consumer Day on March 15. — PTI |
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