Jammu, August 12
In a major success, troops today shot dead a self-styled commander and a deputy commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit in the Gursai area of Mendhar in the Poonch district.

The police said that Abu Katal, alias Janbaaz, commander and Abu Usama Umar, deputy commander of the outfit, were killed in an encounter that started when the two ultras fired at a joint patrolling party of the Army, special operation group, CRPF and police. The two ultras were involved in a number of killings of innocent civilians in the area.

The Army also recovered “motivational CDs” featuring Al Qaida founder Osama bin Laden from the slain Lashker-e-Toiba commander, showing up the close links between the terror groups, said Army officials.

“We recovered 10 CDs of Bin Laden from an encounter site at Gursia in Poonch, where LeT district commander Abu Katal was killed with another militant by troops yesterday,” an Army official said here today.

The disclosure came a day after National Security Adviser M K Narayanan said Pakistan-based LeT, which is active in Kashmir and other parts of the country, is part of the “Al Qaida compact” and the “most visible manifestation of Al Qaida in India”.

The troops also recovered two AK-56 rifles, six rifle magazines with 30 rounds, mobile phone, two wireless sets and three anti-personnel mines from the slain ultras.

The Army officials said the CDs were aimed at preparing militants for tasks like suicide attacks but they ruled out the possibility of an Al Qaida presence in Kashmir.

They said two of the CDs featured sermons and speeches by Bin Laden while the others were about the activities of groups like LeT and Jamat-ud-Dawa, the new name adopted by LeT after it was banned in Pakistan.

Police officials said they had information that the LeT had sent around 100 such CDs from its headquarters at Muridke near Lahore across the LoC to Jammu and Kashmir. The CDs were then distributed to LeT commanders in Doda, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts.

Terrorists have been indulging in violence in the Gursai area for the past some time. They had attacked the CRPF pickets in the area many times, but somehow escaped every time.

Meanwhile, two LeT militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Malpora, Manzgam in DH Pora area of Anantnag district yesterday. One of them was identified as Nawaz Ahmad Sheikh, area commander of Kulgam. A police constable also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire in which two residential houses were also gutted. Two AK rifles and six magazines were recovered from the site of encounter.

Meanwhile, in a joint operation, the Army and the police busted an underground hideout of terrorists in the Gundladhar area of Bhaderwah in the Doda district today.

While no arrest could be made as no terrorist was present in the hideout, but a large quantity of rations and other material was recovered which indicated that the hideout was operational for the past about eight years.

Mr Manohar Singh, SSP, Doda, said the recoveries included 200 kgs rice, 100 kg atta, 30 kgs salt, 80 candles, 50 litres kerosene, blankets, sleeping bags and heating equipment.

Meanwhile, militants shot dead two farmers in Surankote area of Poonch district last night, the police said today. Sons of farmers Bashir Khan and Sadiq Khan had allegedly participated in the Army’s recruitment camp recently defying militants’ orders, the police said.

Srinagar, August 12
The annual Amarnath Yatra culminated with “pujan” and “visarjan” ceremonies on the bank of the Lidder river in Pahalgam yesterday.

The trust founded by Mahant Deependra Giri had made arrangements for the transportation, accommodation and food for sadhus who accompanied the holy mace, Chhari-Mubarak, to the cave shrine during the pilgrimage.

Mahant Deependra Giri hailed the role of the state government, the local administration, the Army, the BSF, the CRPF, the state police, other departments and the people of the state in making yatra successful.

He also thanked all voluntary organisations for providing langar and other necessary facilities to the pilgrims during the pilgrimage.

Srinagar, August 12
Normal life was affected throughout the valley today in response to the general strike call given by several traders and separatist organisations to protest against the killing of a student by CRPF personnel at Dalgate here on last Thursday.

All business establishments here remained closed and there was thin attendance in government offices. The general strike has also affected work in banks and educational institutions. There was thin transport plying here and on the inter-district routes. The call was given by the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) to protest the “continued human rights abuses.”

A spokesman of the KTMF said that it was against the “aggression of security forces on innocent civilians, killing of youth and unleashing a reign of terror.”

This followed the killing of Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, a student of A.S. college from Ashtingoo, Bandipore, at the hands of security forces at Dalgate here on Thursday as the eyewitnesses refuted the police and CRPF claim that the youth was “shot dead while he was in the process of lobbing a grenade at security forces.”

Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, each led by Mr Moulvi Umar Farooq and Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani have condemned and expressed concern over the killing of the innocent youth by the security forces.

Mr Geelani blamed the Central Government for giving “license to kill and suppress the voice of Kashmiris.” Extending his support to the general strike call, Mr Geelani, who was kept under house arrest yesterday, held that the killing was a shameful act that showed “India's barbaric attitude”. The Islamabad-based convenor of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, and Chairman Peoples freedom League, Mohammad Farooq Rehmani, has also condemned the killing of the student. 

Srinagar, August 12
Close on the heels of a major sex racket in which two former ministers were involved, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested six persons, including a couple and their two daughters, from the old city allegedly for running a brothel.

Official sources said a complaint was lodged with police station Kralkhud in the old city by local residents that a couple was running a flesh trade in the Habba Kadal area.

They said the police immediately swung into action and arrested the couple, their two daughters and two alleged customers from Jammu.

Later, a large number of people gathered outside the house of the accused and demanded stern action against them. The demonstrators also damaged the households of the accused before they were chased away by the police.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested eight youths, including four girls, who were moving around in a suspicious manner in Rajouri district.

After receiving a tip-off, the police raided a hotel near the bus stand in Rajouri and arrested the four boys and four girls from Baramulla and Srinagar districts last night, the sources said.

A laptop, a video camera, many videocassettes and CDs were recovered from them.

Those arrested were identified as Khursheed Ahmed, Abdul Hamid, Abdul Wahid, Nazir Ahmed, Rafiqa Akhtar, Razia Begum, Shamim Akhtar and Ruksana Koser.

The police is investigating the purpose of their stay in the hotel and is also ascertaining whether the youths were linked to any sex racket. A case was registered against them under Section 109 (security for good behaviour from suspected persons) of the CrPC. — UNI/PTI

Jammu, August 12
Two residents of the border village of Darogian in the Poonch district were killed today by terrorists for sending their sons to a recruitment rally of the 
Army.

Police said that terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit barged into the house of Mohammad Bashir and took him to the house of Shadi Khan where both of them were shot point blank.

Sons of Bashir and Shadi Khan had recently taken part in a recruitment rally that was conducted by the 20 Rashtriya Rifles. However, the result of the physical test is awaited.

The LeT ultras left behind a note saying that the two had been punished for sending their sons to the Indian Army. Anyone sending their children to the Army in future would also meet similar fate, the note written in Urdu 
warned.

It is worth mentioning that terrorists have in the recent past killed a number of persons whose relatives were employed in the Army or in the central security forces. A number of soldiers returning to their villages in the Poonch and Rajouri districts after their retirement from the Army or paramilitary forces were killed by terrorists.

It is learnt that a number of serving soldiers have urged the authorities to provide protection to their relatives back home.

Measures to conserve Wullar, Mansbal lakes
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 12
The state government has initiated measures to develop and conserve world famous Wullar Lake and its neighbouring Mansbal Lake.

This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, who also holds the tourism portfolio, at a meeting of the members of the Wullar-Mansbal Development Authority (WMDA) here yesterday.

He said the lake would be developed as a backwater resort with small islands in the lake and the famous Zainalink would be restored in its original form.

He directed the Tourism Department to seek guidance from the Central Government for execution of the backwater resort project. He also asked for a survey report on Mansbal Lake from the INTAC within two months.

He asked officials to observe the time schedule strictly so that the projects in the WMDA territory could be executed at the earliest.

He also asked the MLAs concerned to give the list of areas to be included in the WMDA limits in one week.

Those attending the meeting observed that navigational facilities from Srinagar to Mansbal could be developed and a number of places in the area could be developed as heritage sites.

Stressing the need for conserving ecosystem of these two lakes, the Deputy Chief Minister directed to take up de-silting at various places, construction of walkways along the banks so that the two lakes were protected from pollution. He said he would visit the lakes for on-the-spot assessment.