J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

4 militants among 9 killed in J&K
Srinagar, November 8
Militants attacked a patrol party and exchanged fire with security personnel at four places in Jammu and Kashmir, where nine persons, including four militants and a member of an anti-insurgency outfit, were killed since last night, official sources said today. In a joint operation, Army and police personnel shot dead three militants in Brachar forests in Poonch district this morning, in which one jawan was killed and two others injured, they said.

2 porters killed in Pak shelling
Srinagar, November 8
Pakistani forces shelled villages along the Line of Control in Kupwara and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir killing two Nepalese working as porters for the Army and injuring a boy, official sources said today.

Withdrawal of BSF battalions opposed
Jammu, November 8
The state unit of the Congress, has urged Union Home Minister L.K. Advani to defer the plan of withdrawing 18 battalions of the BSF from Srinagar. As per the schedule, the first five battalions of the BSF will be withdrawn from November 15. According to party sources the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, has conveyed to Mr Advani the need to defer the plan to withdraw BSF battalions.

NC protest against Mufti on Nov 12
Jammu, November 8
The National Conference (NC) leader and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, will lead a demonstration here on November 12 to protest against the failure of the Mufti-led coalition government on various fronts. Mr Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president of the NC, said that the party president, Mr Omar Abdullah, would also participate in the rally which was aimed at exposing the Mufti government.

Jawan guns down two colleagues
Jammu, November 8
An Army Havildar opened fire indiscriminately on his colleagues from his service weapon, killing two of them on the spot and injuring another, following an altercation while playing cards at their barracks in the Mendhar area of Poonch district last night, official sources said today.

Sikh women listen to prayers at a Gurdwara on the occasion of Gurpurb, in Srinagar on Saturday.
— Reuters

YOUR TOWN

Jammu Srinagar

	PDP leader shot in Mufti’s home town November 8, 2003
	DD employee among 13 killed in valley November 7, 2003
	HC upholds life term for Shabir Ahmad November 6, 2003
	HC notices to Centre, state, MPs on misuse of funds November 5, 2003
	Development issues hang fire November 4, 2003
	Processions banned as durbar opens November 3, 2003
	Delay in appointment of commission chief November 2, 2003
	16 injured in grenade attack in Pulwama November 1, 2003
	65 pc polling in J&K gurdwara elections October 31, 2003

4 militants among 9 killed in J&K
Tribune News Service and PTI

Srinagar, November 8
Militants attacked a patrol party and exchanged fire with security personnel at four places in Jammu and Kashmir, where nine persons, including four militants and a member of an anti-insurgency outfit, were killed since last night, official sources said today.

In a joint operation, Army and police personnel shot dead three militants in Brachar forests in Poonch district this morning, in which one jawan was killed and two others injured, they said.

Militants attacked a Rashtriya Rifles patrol in the Chatroo area of Doda, hurling grenades and firing indiscriminately, killing one Army personnel and injuring four others.

The killed personnel was identified as Kuldeep Kumar, the sources said.

Militants hurled a grenade towards the house of Mohammad Qasim Bhat at Dab Wakoora in Srinagar district, which did not explode.

One militant of the Al-Badr, Mohammad Yusuf Khatana from the Bandipore area of Baramula district, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Dediwas in Ganderbal in Srinagar district yesterday.

An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with security forces near Handwara in Kupwara district yesterday. One AK rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds and a wireless set were recovered.

Unidentified militants shot dead Abdul Mahjid Rather at Sanoorkalipora in Magam in Budgam district last evening. The militants fired upon Rather in front of a mosque after they intruded into the mosque, where he was offering prayers, and dragged him out.

The police recovered the body of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat of Nanil in Anantnag from Matipora in Anantnag district, He had been kidnapped by suspected militants.

Militants barged into the house of Mohammad Shafi in Mora village of Rajouri district, beat him up and shot dead his wife last night.

In a gunbattle during search operations in the Qazi-Hamam forest of Baramula, one Army personnel was injured. The sources said.

A tragedy was averted with the detection of a powerful improvised explosive device planted by militants on the Janbazpora-Mangate road in Baramula district during routine checking by security forces. The 3-kg IED was later defused.

2 porters killed in Pak shelling

Srinagar, November 8
Pakistani forces shelled villages along the Line of Control in Kupwara and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir killing two Nepalese working as porters for the Army and injuring a boy, official sources said today.

Dun Bahadur and Himaliya Sunar, residents of Nepal were killed at a forward post in the Batalik sub-Sector of Kargil yesterday, they said. A teenager, Mohammad Khalid, was injured and two houses were damaged in the shelling in Tad village in the Karnah sector last night. — PTI

Withdrawal of BSF battalions opposed
Our Correspondent

Jammu, November 8
The state unit of the Congress, has urged Union Home Minister L.K. Advani to defer the plan of withdrawing 18 battalions of the BSF from Srinagar.

As per the schedule, the first five battalions of the BSF will be withdrawn from November 15.

According to party sources the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, has conveyed to Mr Advani the need to defer the plan to withdraw BSF battalions.

They said Mr Sharma had explained to the Deputy Prime Minister that the security problems could escalate once the BSF was off the field. He told Mr Advani that during the past 14 years, the BSF and its intelligence wing had played a key role in containing the activities of the militants and now that the situation had started improving, was not advisable to withdraw the BSF battalions.

Government sources said the plan for withdrawing the BSF had been finalised during a meeting of the senior functionaries of the Union Home Ministry and the Army authorities. It had been decided that those battalions that were to be withdrawn from the summer capital would be deployed on the LoC for checking infiltration.

The sources said the Union Ministry had conveyed to the state government that the CRPF, which was taking over from the BSF, was equally fit to tackle the activities of the militants. 

NC protest against Mufti on Nov 12
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 8
The National Conference (NC) leader and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, will lead a demonstration here on November 12 to protest against the failure of the Mufti-led coalition government on various fronts.

Mr Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president of the NC, said that the party president, Mr Omar Abdullah, would also participate in the rally which was aimed at exposing the Mufti government.

Mr Sadhotra said that the PDP-Congress-Panthers Party coaltion government had failed to solve the problems of the common people. 

Jawan guns down two colleagues

Jammu, November 8
An Army Havildar opened fire indiscriminately on his colleagues from his service weapon, killing two of them on the spot and injuring another, following an altercation while playing cards at their barracks in the Mendhar area of Poonch district last night, official sources said today.

Some Army personnel were playing cards in their barracks when an altercation ensued, following which Havildar S.C. Pandey came out from their barracks with his service weapon and opened fire upon them, killing Havaldar B.N. Brar and Naik B.G. Dongra on the spot and injuring Naik Rattan Singh.

The authorities took Pandey into custody and the injured was shifted to a local hospital, the sources added. — UNI