J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Militants’ plan to target Karvan-e-Aman foiled
Srinagar, May 24
A major tragedy was averted with the timely detection of an IED, 10 km North of here on the Srinagar-Baramula highway today morning, before the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus was to ply on the road to the Uri sector.

Azad visits injured DSP in hospital
Jammu, May 24
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited the government medical college here today and enquired about the condition of sub-divisional police officer, Mendhar, Jugal Manhas, who was seriously injured in a terrorist attack yesterday.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visits DSP Jugal Manhas in Medical College Hospital in Jammu on Thursday.

Ten militants surrender
Srinagar, May 24
Ten militants of various militant outfits have surrendered before police and Army authorities, 20 km North, near the LoC in Kupwara. The surrendered militants came from the PoK and had crossed over to this side to surrender.

Abandoned mortar shell kills child
Hiranagar (J & K), May 24
Villagers here have a reason for seeking the withdrawal of the Army’s firing range. A 12-year-old boy died of a live mortar shell, while a few others live in cracked houses in the thick of bombardment that is carried out by men in olive green round-the-clock.

Rename Jammu varsity: ABVP
Jammu, May 24
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad today demanded that the University of Jammu should be renamed after Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of Jammu and Kashmir. In a statement made today, ABVP leaders Suresh Magotra and Mukesh Kumar, said Maharaja Gulab Singh contributed towards expanding the boundaries of the state.

Militants’ plan to target Karvan-e-Aman foiled
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 24
A major tragedy was averted with the timely detection of an IED, 10 km North of here on the Srinagar-Baramula highway today morning, before the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus was to ply on the road to the Uri sector.

The police said the IED was detected by alert troops of the 2 RR near Tahira Khanam’s college at Lawaypora, the Parimpora area of Srinagar district. To avoid any civilian causality, the police immediately evacuated the area. Later, the IED was safely diffused by the bomb disposal squad. A CRPF spokesman said the 163 Bn with the help of sniffer dog detected one tin container covered with newspapers near a tree along the main highway. With the dog’s help the CRPF came to know that the container was packed with explosives. The bomb disposal squads of the RR and the police were called to defuse it. The DG CRPF has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for the CRPF personnel who helped in averting the major tragedy.

An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the police and the security forces at Tangwari Singhdan Dardhari in Kupwara district from whose possession one AK 47 rifle, three magazines, 45 rounds of ammunition, one hand grenade, one wireless set and one pouch were recovered.

A CRPF Jawan was injured when militants fired upon a patrol party at Brah Bandina in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district. He was identified as Ct. Soraj Bhan of the 155 Bn. CRPF.

Three unidentified gunmen intercepted and fired at a PDP activist Abdul Ahad Bhat 60, at Numai in Yaripora Anantnag district. The gunmen fired a few rounds at his left leg leaving him injured. He was immediately rushed to a hospital from where he was referred to bones and joints hospital here.

The police recovered the body of a drowned militant who was shot by the CRPF on Tuesday and had fallen into the Rambiar Nallah at Meloora village of Pulwama district. The slain militant has been identified as Imtiyaz Wani of the Hizbukl Mujahideen.

A huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered in Budgam district which included one AK 47 rifle, a magazine and 28 rounds.

Azad visits injured DSP in hospital
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 24
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited the government medical college here today and enquired about the condition of sub-divisional police officer, Mendhar, Jugal Manhas, who was seriously injured in a terrorist attack yesterday.

Chief Minister interacted with doctors and told them to provide best possible treatment to the injured police officer. Manhas has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital for treatment.

The Chief Minister also interacted with the family members of Manhas present in the hospital and prayed for early recovery of the injured.

Azad also enquired after the condition of Zahoor Ahmad, driver, who was also injured in the militant attack.

DGP Gopal Sharma, divisional commissioner Pramod Jain, IGP, Jammu Zone, S. P. Vaid, principal government medical college Mumtaz Goni and senior doctors were also present on the occasion.

Ten militants surrender
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 24
Ten militants of various militant outfits have surrendered before police and Army authorities, 20 km North, near the LoC in Kupwara.

The surrendered militants came from the PoK and had crossed over to this side to surrender. Three AK rifles, three AK magazines, 58 rounds of ammunition, one .303 rifle, seven pistols , seven pistol magazines, pistol ammunition 44 rounds, six hand grenades and one radio set were recovered from them.

One of the surrendered militants Gh. Nabi Chaudary has brought his wife Noorjan, son Gh. Mujtaba 5, and daughter Ikra 4 with him.

Those who surrendered are: Gh. Hassan Ganie,alias Umar Aftab of Arigam Bandipora (KLM) outfit; Showkat Ahmad Sheikh of Gujarbel Bandipora (JUM) outfit; Tariq Ahmad Bhat, alias Umar Adnin of Sumler, Bandipora (KLM) outfit; Maqsood Ahmad Wani, alias Bilal of Modmadi Lolab, Kupwara (KLM) outfit; Ghulam Nabi Chaudary, alias Saffer Iqbal of Lone Harri Kralpora Kupwara (TEJ) outfit; Imtiyaz Ahmad Wani,alias Aftab Alam of Mathrad Raithan Budgam (HM) outfit; Sameer Ahmad Rather, alias Shahid of Arith Budgam (HM) outfit; Javid Ahmad Pir, alias Jaffer of Netipora Dooru Anantnag (KRF) outfit; Mukhtar Ahmad Qazi, alias Mohd Ishaq of Hiller Shah Abad Dooru Anantnag (KRF) outfit; and Abdul Majeed Bhat, alias Saifullah from Saddel Handwara (Al-Barq).

Abandoned mortar shell kills child
Prabhjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Hiranagar (J & K), May 24
Villagers here have a reason for seeking the withdrawal of the Army’s firing range. A 12-year-old boy died of a live mortar shell, while a few others live in cracked houses in the thick of bombardment that is carried out by men in olive green round-the-clock.

The boy, Mangaldeep Singh, died on the spot and his brother was seriously injured when they reportedly picked up a live shell near a well at Dasian village yesterday. His brother survived but after struggling with a broken leg at Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu.

The irked villagers today gathered under the banner of people’s action committee and resolved to approach the defence ministry for shifting the 22-km “Chhatra Artillery Exercise Firing Range” out of the inhabited area which comprised 31 villages of Hiranagar and Sambha tehsils.

Hillocks in the Sambha forests is the target area for the firing exercises. Three units of the Army fire from short, medium and long-range guns, which have been placed at different locations in these villages for the past 15 years.

On May 18, six live shells were fond at Nichla village in a single day, following which the Hiranagar police registered a case against the Army, Hiranagar DSP Sajjad Nabi said. Lack of hearing among children and elders was another cause of concern, caused by the shelling, about which the villagers complained. “'The life here has become so miserable that the elders and children are becoming deaf,” said an old woman, pointing out that her grandson now complained of hearing problem.

The committee, formed under I.D Khajuria, has initiated a task of preparing the forms and getting those filled by the victimised villagers for compensation. “We will submit hundreds of forms which will give account of deaths of people and livestock. Then it would be submitted to the defence ministry along with a memorandum for compensation and for the shifting of the firing range from this area,” Khajuria said.

Rename Jammu varsity: ABVP
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 24
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today demanded that the University of Jammu should be renamed after Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement made today, ABVP leaders Suresh Magotra and Mukesh Kumar, said Maharaja Gulab Singh contributed towards expanding the boundaries of the state.

They also demanded that the Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture should be renamed as Baba Jitto Agriculture University to honour the great peasant who sacrificed his life for the rights of farmers. The ABVP leaders complimented vice-chancellor Amitabh Mattoo for constructing a girls’ hostel and demanded that it should be renamed as Rani Jhansi Girls Hostel.