J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Army Chief visits troops in Ladakh
Jammu, June 4
During their three-day visit to the forward locations in the Ladakh region, the Army Chief, Gen J.J. Singh, and Mrs Anupama Singh, President of AWWA, interacted with jawans and officers on the frozen frontiers of Siachen.

In graphic: Siachen glacier area

Three of family, 6 ultras among 10 killed
Srinagar, June 4
Six militants, including a divisional commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, and three members of a family were among the 10 persons killed while security forces apprehended an ultra and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Governor favours 2-month-long Amarnath yatra
Srinagar, June 4
The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Lt-Gen S. K. Sinha (retd), has reiterated his stand on the beginning of Amarnath yatra via Baltal route from June 21 this year and subsequent years for greater satisfaction of pilgrims and giving boost to the local economy. 

Tourists stroll on the boulevard of Dal Lake in Srinagar on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Amin War

UPA giving long rope to separatists: BJP
Jammu, June 4
Senior leaders of the state unit of the BJP have held the UPA government in the Centre and the Congress-PDP coalition regime in Jammu and Kashmir responsible for “having given a back seat to crossborder terrorism while pursuing the peace process with Pakistan”.

Corporators’ security inadequate: NC
Srinagar, June 4
The opposition National Conference, which has a majority in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, elections to which were held early this year, has expressed concern over the lack of adequate security to its corporators. It has approached the Governor and urged him to take measures to ensure security and necessary facilities for the proper functioning of the members.

Army Chief visits troops in Ladakh
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 4
During their three-day visit to the forward locations in the Ladakh region, the Army Chief, Gen J.J. Singh, and Mrs Anupama Singh, President of AWWA, interacted with jawans and officers on the frozen frontiers of Siachen.

General Singh also addressed soldiers guarding the border with China and in Kargil. His visit to the Indo-China border belt assumed significance in view of the improved bilateral relations between the two countries and the ongoing confidence-building measures.

The Army Chief visited the Ladakh Scouts Regimental centre on the occasion of the first reunion of the regiment. General Singh was impressed with the rich and martial traditions and contribution of Ladakh Scouts in various wars since 1947, including Operation Vijay.

He announced that the Ladakh Scouts Regiment would be awarded the theatre of honour of Kargil and battle honour of Batalik for its bravery during the Operation Vijay.

During a visit to the Siachen mountain glacier which has witnessed intermittent clashes since 1984, he met the soldiers and inquired about their clothing and operational readiness. He was happy over the morale of the troops guarding the world’s highest battlefield.

In Kargil, Gen. J.J. Singh addressed a sainik sammelan where he listened to the problems of the soldiers.

Mrs Anupama Singh spent some time with children of Army Goodwill School in the Army unit. She also interacted with the soldiers and women of the Maratha LI Battalion.

Three of family, 6 ultras among 10 killed

Srinagar, June 4
Six militants, including a divisional commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, and three members of a family were among the 10 persons killed while security forces apprehended an ultra and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Two militants were killed by the security forces in an encounter at Handwara in the frontier district of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said.

An encounter ensued between militants and security forces at Grannar in Tangdar near the Line of Control (LoC) last night during which two ultras were killed.

The spokesman said security forces killed one Mohammad Alyas, alias Umar Inquilabi, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen Divisional Commander, during an encounter at Ajas under the Sumbal police station in the North Kashmir district of Baramulla last evening.

Security forces took along one Shakoor Ahmad Dewa, a resident of Jan Mohalla in Shopian, for arms recovery at a hideout at Sedav. However, the spokesman said, Dewa was killed in a mine blast at the hideout where two jawans were also injured.

However, the residents alleged that Dewa was arrested and later killed by the security forces in a fake encounter.

Security forces killed a Jamait-ul-Mujahideen militant during an encounter at Asthanpora in Rawalpora early today.

Giving details about the killing of two brothers by unidentified gunmen at Mulnar Theed in Harwan, the spokesman said the father of the brothers — Motwali Khan, who was injured during the firing — also succumbed to injuries in the hospital today.

One pistol, two magazines, 45 rounds, three AK magazines were seized from Bhartha Wala while two UBGL grenades, six grenades, one AK magazine, 50 rounds, 3 kg of explosives, one gas cylinder and two small gas cylinders fitted with detonators were seized from Tala Pangai last night. — UNI

Governor favours 2-month-long Amarnath yatra
Tribune news Service

Srinagar, June 4
The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Lt-Gen S. K. Sinha (retd), has reiterated his stand on the beginning of Amarnath yatra via Baltal route from June 21 this year and subsequent years for greater satisfaction of pilgrims and giving boost to the local economy. This, however, would be subject to weather conditions.

The Governor, who is also Chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board (ASB), inspected the trek of over 5 km from Baltal to Sangam yesterday and said that the yatra would start as per the schedule subject to favourable weather conditions. This decision was taken on the directions of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The Governor said the conduct of the yatra, including fixing the duration, would be left at the discretion of the board.

Referring to the apprehensions of the Chief Minister about the security of pilgrims, the Governor said he had highest regard for the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “I will discuss the issue with him and given our mutual goodwill, I am sure, an amicable solution will be found. I fully share the Chief Minister’s concern for providing maximum security for yatris,” said the Governor. He held that foolproof security arrangements were made from Baltal to the holy cave and from the cave to Pahalgam. He said during the past two years the yatra had been peaceful, while he himself had paid several visits to the cave shrine as chairman of the Shrine Board. The advice to start the two-month-long yatra from June this year and subsequent years was based on his experience as head of the state and the shrine board. After taking over as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in June, 2003, he said his first priority was to ensure a foolproof security for Amarnath pilgrims.

The Governor said by having the pilgrimage for an extended period instead of confining it to only one month, the rush would reduce, he said, adding this would provide greater security to pilgrims. He said security arrangements would remain for two months starting from the middle of this month as already agreed to by the security agencies.

The Governor assured that there would be no degradation of environment on account of the yatra, for which the use of plastics had been banned in the camps and on the yatra routes.

With the melting of snow on the yatra route from Baltal to the cave shrine of Amarnath, some pilgrims started pilgrimage from here yesterday. Two vehicles carrying about 20 pilgrims started from here in the morning for Baltal. 

UPA giving long rope to separatists: BJP
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 4
Senior leaders of the state unit of the BJP have held the UPA government in the Centre and the Congress-PDP coalition regime in Jammu and Kashmir responsible for “having given a back seat to crossborder terrorism while pursuing the peace process with Pakistan”.

A former Minister of State for Defence, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, and the BJP vice-president, Prof Hri Om, said here today that the BJP-led NDA government had initiated the peace process which resulted in the enforcement of cease fire on the LoC.

The two BJP leaders said since the time the Congress assumed power in the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir, it gave new dimensions to the peace process under which Kashmiri separatists were allowed a long rope leading to a sudden step up in terrorist violence in the state.

Professor Gupta said people had appreciated the peace initiative taken by the BJP-led NDA government, but with the rise in civilian killings and other attacks the peace process seemed “meaningless exercise”.

Corporators’ security inadequate: NC
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 4
The opposition National Conference, which has a majority in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, elections to which were held early this year, has expressed concern over the lack of adequate security to its corporators. It has approached the Governor and urged him to take measures to ensure security and necessary facilities for the proper functioning of the members.

Two of its corporators, Mohammad Maqbool Shah and Mohammad Ashraf Bhalla, have so far fallen to the bullet of unidentified militants. While Shah was shot dead within days of being elected early in March this year, Bhalla was killed here yesterday.

The party president, Mr Omar Abdullah, and Mayor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Mr Ghulam Mustafa Bhat, have expressed concern over the inadequate security to corporators. Mr Abdullah also expressed concern over the continued killing of innocents and harassment to the people.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Bhat said the coalition government did not take adequate measures despite fact that the matter had been taken up repeatedly. He alleged that it was the indifferent attitude of the Mufti government which led to the death of corporators during the past three months.

He claimed that the assurances of the government for providing accommodation and giving the members insurance cover, had proved false.

In a memorandum to the Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), the Mayor has demanded adequate security, accommodation, hike in monthly honorarium, mobile telephones and empowerment to the corporation.