J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Civilians not allowed in encounter area

Srinagar, July 30 As the encounter between militants and security forces continued throughout the day today after it began in Budshah Chowk last evening, the entire area has been cordoned off completely.   Soldiers leave after a gun battle with militants in Srinagar on Saturday. — Reuters photo
Perspective: Tackling the scourge of terrorism Kashmir Diary: Communal conflict is not the primary issue in Kashmir

Close shave for photojournalists
Srinagar, July 30
They are the first to reach the spot of violent incidents eagerly to catch the first pictures and filming of the happenings, whether it is an explosion or an encounter between militants and security forces.

BJP seeks dismissal of Mufti govt
Jammu, July 30
The BJP has demanded an immediate dismissal of Mohammed Sayeed Mufti-led coalition government that has “failed” to check the escalation in the terrorism- related violence in which a large number of innocent persons are being killed by militants.

5 Amarnath pilgrims die
Srinagar, July 30
Five Amarnath yatris and a Central Reserve Police Force jawan have died since last evening, official sources said. With this a total of 47 yatris have died since the pilgrimage started on June 21.

Two killed in landslide
Jammu, July 30
Two technicians of the Konkan Railway engaged in construction of the Jammu - Srinagar rail line were today buried under a landslide near the Anji nullah in the Reasi town of Udhampur district.

4 Bangladeshis held near border
Jammu, July 30
The BSF today arrested four Bangladeshis while they were trying to exfiltrate to Pakistan via the International Border in the Samba sector. They were arrested when they were seen moving towards the border to cross over to Pakistan, BSF troops said.

IED defused in Rajouri
Jammu, July 30
Security forces defused an improvised explosive device at Kirni in Rajouri last evening, defusing a possible tragedy, defence sources today said.

Civilians not allowed in encounter area
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 30
As the encounter between militants and security forces continued throughout the day today after it began in Budshah Chowk last evening, the entire area has been cordoned off completely. Barricades with barbed wire have been raised along the entire stretch of road to avoid movement of the pedestrians and vehicles. Even journalists, eight of whom were injured yesterday, have been kept away from the spot. All schools, shops, banks and business establishments in the area remained closed while thin attendance was recorded in offices.

Unlike in the past, the scene around the spot of encounter looked like that of London explosions, where civilian movement was completely restricted to avoid any harm. This is for the first time that such a strategy was adopted to ensure the safety of the civilians, following much criticism over the confusion around the spot of explosion in the high security zone of Ram Munshi Bagh on July 20. At least six persons, including three Army men, were killed in the IED explosion.

The movement of pedestrians and vehicles has been restricted on the MA road and the Residency road. The residence of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, is located on the MA road at a distance of less than a km. On the western side of the spot, important installations including Legislative Complex, high court and civil secretariat, are located.

“The restrictive measures have been taken to avoid any harm to the civilians,” said Mr K. Srinivasan, DIG, BSF, adding that only yesterday at least eight photojournalists were injured in the shootout. Safety and security of the civilian population was the utmost priority, he held. The entire stretch of the road from the MA bridge to Batamaloo came in the firing range of the militants hiding in hotels, he said.

Close shave for photojournalists
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 30
They are the first to reach the spot of violent incidents eagerly to catch the first pictures and filming of the happenings, whether it is an explosion or an encounter between militants and security forces. And it is very rarely that anyone of them, the photojournalists and videographers, has ever missed an occasion during the past 15 years of militancy in Kashmir. In the process, at least 12 journalists have lost their lives and many more received bullet or splinter injuries on various occasions across the valley so far.

A number of them had a narrow escape in the encounter between militants and security forces here yesterday. While at least seven of them got injured, many of them returned safely in the process of rescuing their colleagues. Of those injured, two are undergoing treatment, while others have been discharged from the hospitals. The condition of Mohammad Muzaffar, assistant cameraman of Sahara News, is stated to be critical at the SMHS hospital here where he was operated upon yesterday. Another cameraman, Manzoor Ahmad of India TV, is undergoing treatment at the Bone and Joints Hospital.

Habib Naqash, a senior photojournalist working with Asian Age, had faced the situation a number of times. Accompanied by a couple of other colleagues, he had sought a temporary refuge inside a shop when the fierce gunfight again started at Lal Chowk around 5 p.m. yesterday. “When we saw one of our colleagues falling down after receiving bullet injuries, we came out and rescued him from the spot”, he recalled. That saved him and his colleague, Tawseef Mustafa of AFP, while many others were caught in the crossfire.

Recalling the series of events that took place with the beginning of the encounter, Habib Naqash said the situation seemed to be normal “when I reached the spot”. A Gypsy of the police was gutted when a bullet pierced through its oil tank and it was only then he and his colleagues shielded themselves in a nearby shop. “When we saw our colleague, Manzoor Ahmad of India TV falling down in an injured condition we came out and rescued him away from the spot”, he said. That saved them from any further damage, he recalled.

“This is part of our profession and these things would continue”, he said, adding that they had to face it while in the profession.

He has survived a series of incidents with a close shave. The first major incident was the explosion of a parcel bomb in the office of BBC here on September 7, 1995. Mushtaq Ali, the then videographer of ANI, died after three days battling for life, while Yusuf Jameel, correspondent of BBC, and Habib Naqash escaped with splinter injuries. He survived another incident of the explosion at Residency Road on August 11, 2000, in which Hindustan Times photographer Pradeep Bhatia died and several others were injured.

BJP seeks dismissal of Mufti govt
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 30
The BJP has demanded an immediate dismissal of Mohammed Sayeed Mufti-led coalition government that has “failed” to check the escalation in the terrorism- related violence in which a large number of innocent persons are being killed by militants.

In a statement here today, Mr Hari Om, vice-president of the state unit of the BJP, urged the Governor, Lt-Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, to dismiss the Congress-supported Mufti government, whose many leaders were themselves “instigating” the people in the valley.

Mr Hari Om alleged that certain elements in the coalition were systematically undermining the constitutional authority of New Delhi in the state. He accused the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and his daughter, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, of making such statements. He quoted their statement in which it was said that there should be joint control of India and Pakistan over the state waters and power project.

In another statement, the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) has condemned the terrorist attack at the Dashnami Akhara, the abode of the holy Chhari Mubarak.

Mr Onkar Seth, leader of the JSM, demanded that the Mufti government be dismissed as it had lost the right to rule the state.

5 Amarnath pilgrims die

Srinagar, July 30
Five Amarnath yatris and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan have died since last evening, official sources said.

With this a total of 47 yatris have died since the pilgrimage started on June 21.

Sources said a CRPF head constable Pardeep Rai and Mohan Lal of Uttar Pradesh died due to heart attack near the cave shrine last evening.

A yatri from Rajasthan, Ram Krashan, died at Pissutop while one Trvechi Lal died at Sheshnag.

The sources said one Niran Singh of Rajasthan and Seti Devi, who were admitted to a hospital, died later. — UNI

Two killed in landslide
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 30
Two technicians of the Konkan Railway engaged in construction of the Jammu - Srinagar rail line were today buried under a landslide near the Anji nullah in the Reasi town of Udhampur district.

The huts of the two machine operators were buried under landslides that were triggered by a heavy rain.

Their bodies were later dug out of the debris. The two have been identified as Ghanshyam, a resident of Gorakhpur in U.P. and Udai Ghosh of West Bengal.

4 Bangladeshis held near border

Jammu, July 30
The BSF today arrested four Bangladeshis while they were trying to exfiltrate to Pakistan via the International Border in the Samba sector.

They were arrested when they were seen moving towards the border to cross over to Pakistan, BSF troops said.

They were taken into custody and preliminary questioning revealed that they belonged to Bangladesh and were brought here by some agents on a false promise of providing them jobs as labourers, he said. — PTI

IED defused in Rajouri

Jammu, July 30
Security forces defused an improvised explosive device (IED) at Kirni in Rajouri last evening, defusing a possible tragedy, defence sources today said.

A Defence Ministry spokesman, Lieut-Col R.K. Chhibber, said an IED planted by militants on a dirt track at Kirni was detected by some passers-by last evening. — UNI