Ten killed in valley
Operation on to bust militants’ hideouts

Srinagar, April 14
As many as 10 persons, including six militants, were killed while security forces launched a massive operation against ultras in Jammu and Kashmir.

A defence ministry spokesman said troops on a specific information launched a cordon and search operation at Dangerpur village in south Kashmir district of Pulwama early this morning.

When the area was being sealed, militants opened fire and also hurled hand grenades. The troops also retaliated and in the fierce encounter, three militants — Mohammad Yousuf, alias Qazi, — Mohammad Ashraf and Abdul Hamid, were killed, he added.

Three AK rifles, 12 grenades and one wireless set were recovered from the deceased.

Security forces did not suffer any casuality, the spokesman said and added troops also arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant and recovered one AK rifle, 2 magazines and 25 rounds near general bus stand Batmaloo.

Official sources said militants shot at and critically wounded an Assistant Treasury Officer, Mr Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, at Kulgam. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, sources added.

Militants also abducted another person Mohammad Shafi Ganai at Kokernag last night.

An official spokesman said security forces gunned down a militant at Khansaheb in the central Kashmir district of Badgam last night. One AK rifle and one wireless set were recovered from the slain militant.

A Jammu report quoting Superintendent of Police (Banihal-Ramban) Gareeb Dass said a gun battle took place between militants and a joint group of police and the BSF at Lancha in February, when it was snowing heavily.

Four militants were reported to have been killed in the encounter, he said, and added the bodies could not be recovered then as these got buried under 10-foot snow.

Mr Dass said as the snow had now started melting, cops came across two bodies of the militants at Lancha last evening. Search was on for the other two bodies, he added. He said two AK rifles had also been recovered by the police search team.

Official sources said as many as three militants struck at Bathoi in Mahore late at night and went to the house of Mohammad Shafi.

After making certain queries the militants slit his throat and also fired few shots at him, the sources added.

The same militants later forced entry into the house of Qamar Din in the nearby Malan village and slit his throat also.

The sources said before escaping into the forests, the militants went to the house of Roshan Din at Neeram and dragged him out. They tortured and later killed him by slitting his throat, the sources added. The three were killed by militants as they suspected them to be security forces’ informers.

Official sources said in the wake of intelligence inputs that militants, mostly foreigners, had made their hideouts in the Pir Panjal ranges in Udhampur and Doda districts, over 2,000 jawans from the Army, BSF and police have spread out in the Gool, Banihal and Rajgarh areas three days back to flush them out.

The troops had zeroed in on at least 15 places in the hills and plugged all escape routes. The movement of civilians, including nomads and shepherds, had been strictly banned in the areas to avoid casualties.

At least 12 militants, including top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, were said to be holed up in the cordoned parts of the hills, the sources added. — UNI

Flight safety trophy for ‘Satwari Bombers’
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 14
The ‘Satwari Bombers’ of the Army Aviation Corps is the recipient of the newly instituted flight safety trophy for the year 2004.

The trophy was presented to the unit by Lt-Gen Hari Prasad, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, at a function at Udhampur today.

All flying units of the Northern Command are evaluated in terms of their performance and the flight that is adjudged the best is awarded the trophy.

During heavy snowfall and avalanches in February and March this year, the army aviators took up the challenging task of mercy missions and rescued 51 civilian and army personnel. Missions for reconnaissance and dropping of essential supplies were undertaken in the harsh mountain weather and the tough terrain.

In the Siachen Glacier area, the Cheetah helicopters are the lifeline for the troops.

Besides maintaining a high degree of operational preparedness, the corps plays an important role in counter-terrorism operations.

The brave pilots of the corps fly under the most challenging conditions to save precious lives of their comrades injured in the operations.

The trophy was presented against the backdrop of the annual Army Aviation Corps conference. The conference was attended by the head of the corps, Maj-Gen S.S. Pawar, besides representatives from the Army Headquarters and all commanding officers of aviation units of the Northern Command.

Hurriyat to meet Musharraf first
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 14
The moderate faction of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today constituted a four-member delegation to meet the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, in Delhi on Sunday.

The members of the delegation are the APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulvi Abbas Ansari and Mr Bilal Lone, executive members of the conglomerate.

The Mirwaiz announced this at the party headquarters this afternoon after a series of meetings to finalise the agenda and the list of members of the delegation.

The delegation will leave for Delhi on Saturday, thus making it clear that it will not meet Dr Manmohan Singh before meeting the Pakistan President.

The leader of the breakaway faction of the APHC, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammad Yaseen Malik of the JKLF and Shabir Ahmad Shah are also scheduled to meet General Musharraf. However, they will not meet the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

Earlier, discussions were held by all four executive members at the residence of Mr Bilal Ghani Lone who had stayed away from the meetings on Tuesday. Sources said differences with Mr Lone over the inclusion of other separatist leaders in the delegation were sorted out at the meeting.

Although Mr Bilal Lone is meeting the Pakistan President as a member of the APHC delegation, he had received a separate invitation from the Pakistan Embassy.