J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Chenab flows 30-ft above
danger mark
Army called out
Jammu, July 1
A red alert has been sounded in the areas along the Chenab as the level of the river water touched the danger mark following the last night’s rain. On the other hand, the Army has been called out in the Ladakh area to help the civil authorities in restoring the infrastructure that has been damaged due to the yesterday’s extensive flood.

A chunk of earth falls into the Chenab off the bank near Akhnoor in Jammu on Friday. The river is in flood and a high alert has been sounded. — PTI photo

Cong leader escapes bid on life
Srinagar, July 1
Four people were killed while a Congress leader escaped unhurt in an attack on his house in Kashmir valley overnight, official sources said today.

Hurriyat leaders plan “mass interaction” programme
Jammu, July 1
Hints from the government circles are that Delhi has made up its mind to hold talks with various political groups, including All-Party Hurriyat Conference leaders, in Jammu and Kashmir in the near future.

Bid to target Amarnath yatra foiled
Jammu, July 1
The security forces today foiled militants’ bid to target the ongoing Amarnath Yatra by recovering a live grenade at Seri-Chamliyas on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, defence sources said.

Chenab flows 30-ft above danger mark
Army called out
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 1
A red alert has been sounded in the areas along the Chenab as the level of the river water touched the danger mark following the last night’s rain. On the other hand, the Army has been called out in the Ladakh area to help the civil authorities in restoring the infrastructure that has been damaged due to the yesterday’s extensive flood.

The Chenab was flowing above the 30-foot danger mark at Pargwal in Akhnoor tehsil.

Officials said a contingency action plan had been drawn to evacuate 25 villagers in case the water level did not recede.

The authorities have asked the villagers not to panic but maintain a vigil.

Meanwhile, there was respite from the heat wave today due to the rain that lashed the Jammu areas early this morning.

A spokesman of the Army said life in Leh had been affected due to the flood. Other affected areas included Chushot, Shey, Chugimsar, Phyang, Yourtung, Changapa and Spituk.

The Indus and Phyang rivers rose rapidly causing flash floods and inundating vast areas and cultivated fields.

Several culverts, concrete bridges and houses were damaged. There houses were washed away, but no loss of life has been reported.

The engineers of the Army and the border roads organisation and men of the Ladakh Scouts were engaged in the relief operations.

A round-the-clock vigil was being maintained by the Army personnel.

Cong leader escapes bid on life

Srinagar, July 1
Four people were killed while a Congress leader escaped unhurt in an attack on his house in Kashmir valley overnight, official sources said today.

Two blasts on the highway left four security personnel wounded in the valley today, they said.

Militants abducted Abdul Jabar Mir at Wanpora, Pulwama, and after inflicting injuries on his neck, abandoned him in a nearby field. However, some villagers later shifted him to hospital.

Militants triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) at Wosan in Anantnag district, targeting a security force patrol guarding the highway.

Four security personnel, who were injured in the blast, have been admitted to hospital. The security forces have launched a massive hunt to nab the militants.

Militants triggered yet another powerful IED on the Srinagar-Uri highway this afternoon, targeting a security force convoy.

However, there was no report of any injury to the security forces as the IED exploded seconds after the vehicles passed the area. A shop was damaged in the blast.

The sources said militants opened indiscriminate fire at the house of Abdul Khaliq, a Congress leader, at Beerwah in Badgam district last night, causing minor damage.

However, Mr Khaliq and his family members escaped unhurt in the attack.

The sources said unidentified gunmen shot dead a labourer, Ghulam Mohammad Lone, near Kangan, while the body of state road transport corporation employee Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat was recovered at Chanapora.

An official spokesman said the security forces gunned down one militant each at Pampore in Pulwama district and Danda village in Doda district today. Arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants.

The security forces arrested a militant at Kupwara along with one pistol last night. — UNI

Hurriyat leaders plan “mass interaction” programme
M.L.Kak

Jammu, July 1
Hints from the government circles are that Delhi has made up its mind to hold talks with various political groups, including All-Party Hurriyat Conference leaders, in Jammu and Kashmir in the near future.

In this context the APHC and its constituents have planned what they call “mass interaction” programme to establish their representative character.

The Muslim Conference, headed by Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said today that a session of party delegates from various areas of Kashmir would be held in Srinagar on July 3. He said 1200 delegates have been invited to the session where the plan of holding party elections will be finalised.

Prof Bhat said that after the election of the chairman the party units would be established in all the districts. The idea behind this exercise was to carry with “us our delegates and supporters” while strengthening the peace process between India and Pakistan.

The APHC leadership too has decided to hold rallies at various places. The APHC has revised its schedule on meeting leaders and representatives of displaced Kashmiri Pandits.

Prof Bhat said that Pandits had been invited to Srinagar where “we plan to have a big show of unity outside the Hurriyat headquarters.”

To a question the APHC leader said that “resumption of talks between us and Delhi is part of the agreement we had when we left for Pakistan on a 15-day tour.”

He said that “we had been conveyed that after our return from Pakistan a meeting would be arranged with Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.” He too indicated that the APHC expected formal invitation from the Prime Minister in the near future so that “whatever ideas on the resolution of the Kashmir we received during our tour to Pakistan and occupied Kashmir could be exchanged with the Government of India.”

Prof Bhat refused to divulge the nature of the ideas” the Hurriyat leaders had received during their interaction with leaders in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir.

He however, said that autonomy for both parts of the divided states of Jammu and Kashmir was one of the ideas floated by a few politicians in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Bid to target Amarnath yatra foiled

Jammu, July 1
The security forces today foiled militants’ bid to target the ongoing Amarnath Yatra by recovering a live grenade at Seri-Chamliyas on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, defence sources said.

Militants had planted a live grenade on the highway along with 20 cartridges of AK rifle attached with a wireless set in Ramban tehsil of Doda district, 152 km from here, they said.

They wanted to target pilgrim convoys on Amarnath Yatra, they said, adding that alert Army troops detected the grenade around 9.45 a.m. and defused it.

However, no one was arrested in this connection, they said, adding that during the detection and defusing of the grenade, traffic was stopped for nearly an hour. — PTI