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UK advises Britons not to travel to J&K Woman killed in IED blast; 3 militants shot Army on alert after flood threat
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UK advises Britons not to travel to J&K Jammu, May 1 Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed visited London in November last and made efforts to get the advisory withdrawn so that the number of foreign tourists to the state increased. Over four lakh British tourists visit India every year and Kashmir has been their favourite destination. However, the number of foreign tourists to the Valley has been reduced to a trickle because of terrorism. The advisory says that the levels of violence remain high in J&K and serious incidents of militancy continue in the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu province. While not being at tourists, violent incidents have occurred recently in public places, including Srinagar. There is also a danger of landmines in some border areas and the risk of kidnapping. Militants took hostage five foreign nationals, including two Britons in July 1995: one was murdered and the others are believed to be dead. The advisory has warned that the tourists should be aware of travel agents who will try to convince you that it is safe to travel to J&K. Despite increased official promotion of Kashmir as a tourist centre, tensions remain high there. No matter how convincing the agents appear to be, their advice should not be followed. The advisory has asked the trekkers to travel in groups and engage local guides in Himachal Pradesh where there have been several attacks, including murders, on trekkers in the mountainous areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. It has also advised against all travel to Manipur and Tripura where militant groups are operating. In a bid to attract British tourists, the Mufti-led a contingent of officers of the state, including his daughter, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, to London in November last to participate in the World Tourism Meet. He took the opportunity to meet the Friends of India group in the British Houses of Lords and Commons and urged it to get the advisory against visiting Kashmir withdrawn. The meeting that was chaired by Mr Barry Gardiner assured the contingent that they would persuade the Foreign Office to withdraw the adverse travel advisory.
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Woman killed in IED blast; 3 militants shot Srinagar, May 1 The IED, planted on the main road adjacent to the boundary wall of the house of Ghulam Mohammad Wagay at Diyalgam, went off around 10.45 am resulting in serious injuries to his daughter Nawaza Bano and daughter-in-law Yasmeena Akhter, they said. The sources said the boundary wall and the house of wagay suffered extensive damage in the explosion. It was not immediately known who was the exact target of the militants but officials believe that the militants had planted the IED to target the campaign vehicles of different parties which were making rounds in the area for the past few days. A hunt has been launched to arrest the militants responsible for the act, the sources said.
The district is going to the polls on May 5. JAMMU: In a major success, the Army today shot three terrorists, including Abu Bashir, Poonch district commander of the Laskar-e-Toiba (LeT), who were planning to make suicide attacks on polling booths and target some important persons. According to a spokesman for the Army, two sets of police badges of the rank of Sub-Inspector, two AK-56 rifles, one AK-47 rifle, four hand grenades, an IED circuit, two radio sets and other equipment have been seized from them. The terrorists were killed during an operation in the Kotli Kalaban area of Rajouri district where the troops came under indiscriminate fire of the militants. Others killed in the operation, Yasir Mehmood, a resident of Rawalpindi in Pakistan, and Mohammad Sabid Salim.
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Army on alert after flood threat
Srinagar, May 1 The Army columns have been kept ready to react at a short notice to any request from the civil administration across the Kashmir valley, a defence spokesman said here. Due to torrential rains and snowfall, the water has touched danger mark in the Jhelum river and its tributaries posing a threat of flash floods. The spokesman said the Army had been kept ready at Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara and Sharifabad in Badgam district and constant liaison was being maintained with the civil administration. Motor boats and sandbags were kept ready, he said, adding plans had also been made to rescue people marooned due to floods if the need arose. In several remote areas troops helped out the populace in clearing fallen trees from roads and tracks, he added. Meanwhile, severe cold, coupled with power breakdown and submerged roads crippled life in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir for the second day today. However, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was opened through for light and passenger vehicles only while the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway remained closed, a traffic police official told UNI today. The entire Kashmir valley, including Srinagar was reeling under severe cold with further drop in the temperature following continued snowfall on the upper reaches and rains in the plains. Official sources said the upper reaches recorded six inches to two feet of fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours while it was heavily snowing at holy Amarnath cave, Sheshnag, Mahaguns and Pisso Top. The city and its adjoining areas were lashed by heavy rains causing flood-like situation in almost all lowlying localities. People at Badshah Nagar Natipora, Kursoo Rajbagh, Bemina, Gadhanzpora, Padshahi Bagh and Azad Basti remained indoor for the second day today as all lanes and bylanes were flooded with rain water. Official sources said that only 24 of 70 pumps were functioning in the city because of total power breakdown. About 40 mobile pumps were also pressed into service to drain the rain water in the city. The condition of almost all roads, including Rambagh to Nowgam residence of the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had worsened with big potholes disrupting traffic movement. The divisional authorities have declared holiday in all educational institutions while the Kashmir University had also cancelled examinations scheduled for today because of severe cold. A spokesman of the electricity department said all three transmission lines from Northern grid were damaged resulting in total power breakdown in the Kashmir valley. He said a large number of trees were uprooted due to snowfall and rains had damaged the transmission lines in the Banihal area on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. Efforts were on to remove the trees and repair the damaged lines, he said, adding it may take some more days. However, he said, one transmission line would be repaired by this evening. He said the local generation was being fed to essential services in the valley. Official sources said the reopening of 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway may get delayed because of late snowfall at Sonmarg, Gomri and Zojila pass, the highest point on the highway. The highway was scheduled to reopen in the first week of this month after remaining closed for six winter months due to heavy snowfall. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, had already cleared snow on the highway. —PTI, UNI
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