J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Five intruders shot dead
Jawan dies in Pak shelling
Srinagar, September 22
Fifteen militants, including five Pakistani infiltrators, were among 20 persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. An official spokesman today said security forces gunned down five infiltrators sneaking into India at Nar-Balnoi in Poonch district of Jammu region late last night.

Bandh paralyses life
Jammu, September 22
An irate mob today smashed windscreens of several vehicles and blocked the strategic Rajouri-Poonch road throughout the day to protest against the failure of the authorities to nab the terrorists who exploded an IED in the main bazaar yesterday killing three persons.

Saleem Geelani, 15 others detained
Srinagar, September 22
The leader of the breakaway group of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, Syed Saleem Geelani, and 15 of his party activists were taken into preventive custody today for taking out a march in the city in protest against alleged human rights violations.

Syed Saleem Geelani (C) leads a rally in Srinagar on Monday to protest alleged human rights violations in the state. — PTI photo

Five intruders shot dead
Jawan dies in Pak shelling

Srinagar, September 22
Fifteen militants, including five Pakistani infiltrators, were among 20 persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman today said security forces gunned down five infiltrators sneaking into India at Nar-Balnoi in Poonch district of Jammu region late last night. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the slain militants.

He said militants shot dead Nazim Ansari, a resident of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, at Yaripora in south Kashmir last night.

In another incident, four militants of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed during a fierce encounter with the forces at Cherwari forest in the frontier district of Kupwara last night. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

The spokesman said militants kidnapped one Wazir Mohammad and his wife and later strangulated them at Lah village in Rajouri district last night.

Security forces killed one militant each at Shidner Top in south Kashmir district of Anantnag and at Chak Danesh Beerwah in the central Kashmir district of Badgam today.

Three AK rifles, seven magazines, five grenades, five UBGL and 5 kg of explosives were recovered from the slain militants.

In an encounter at Naka Manjari under Gurasi police station last night, two militants and a soldier were killed and one jawan was injured.

Security forces gunned down two militants in an encounter at Mehrote under Surankote police station last night. One civilian Manzoor Hussain also died and another was injured in the exchange of fire.

An army jawan was killed and another injured in the overnight Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control in north Kashmir, raising the death toll in cross-border shelling during the past two days to four, official sources said today.

The soldier, V Mohan Patil, was killed and his colleague injured when an artillery shell exploded near Gadda Post at Nowaranda village, the worst hit by shelling in Baramulla district, the sources said. — UNI, PTI

Bandh paralyses life
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 22
An irate mob today smashed windscreens of several vehicles and blocked the strategic Rajouri-Poonch road throughout the day to protest against the failure of the authorities to nab the terrorists who exploded an IED in the main bazaar yesterday killing three persons.

A group of youth hurled stones on vehicles passing through the town which observed a complete bandh to protest against the incident. Army was deployed in the town in view of the mounting tension.

This was for the second time in the past few months that the terrorists exploded a powerful IED at the same place in the crowded bazaar.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) here today condemned the explosion and the party chief, Thakur Randhir Singh, described the Mufti-led coalition government as “worst” than the previous National Conference regime.

He said Jammu region had come in the grip of terrorism because of the failure of the government in taking action against the ultras. The districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kathua should be handed over to the Army, he demanded.

Saleem Geelani, 15 others detained

Srinagar, September 22
The leader of the breakaway group of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, Syed Saleem Geelani, and 15 of his party activists were taken into preventive custody today for taking out a march in the city in protest against alleged human rights violations.

Carrying placards and party flags, Geelani and others marched towards the Chief Minister's residence in violation of the prohibitory orders.

They continued their march towards Lal Chowk but were stopped by the police near Women's College and asked to disperse. On their refusal, the police took Geelani and other workers into preventive custody. They were lodged at the Kothibagh police station, police sources said.

Addressing a press conference prior to the march, Geelani said the purpose of the march was to highlight the rights violations by the security forces.

The march was also aimed at passing a message to the leadership (separatists) that they should raise above party lines, end internal discord and lead the people unitedly to see an end to the atrocities and work for the peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue, he said. — PTI