The Tribune...Jammu and Kashmir

J A M M U C& CK A S H M I R

Tuesday,July 14, 1998

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NC activist, four
jawans killed
SRINAGAR, July 13 — Militants shot dead a ruling National Conference activist and four security personnel while troops killed seven militants, including two foreign mercenaries, in different incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening. Suspected militants attacked a CRPF camp with a grenade. Nine suspected militants were held and arms and ammunition seized during the period, an official spokesman said here today....

Another Amarnath pilgrim dead

NC activist, four jawans killed
SRINAGAR, July 13 (PTI) — Militants shot dead a ruling National Conference activist and four security personnel while troops killed seven militants, including two foreign mercenaries, in different incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.
Suspected militants attacked a CRPF camp with a grenade. Nine suspected militants were held and arms and ammunition seized during the period, an official spokesman said here today.
A militant surrendered before the authorities last evening.
A group of unidentified militants forcibly entered the house of National Conference activist Ghulam Rasool Ganai at Muran in Pulwama district last night and shot him dead.
Four security personnel were killed and 13 injured when militants ambushed an Army patrol at Hedi-Dhoke village in the border district of Poonch in Jammu last night.
The troops retaliated but the militants fled.
The spokesman said troops killed five militants in separate encounters in the frontier district of Kupwara yesterday, while two foreign mercenaries were shot dead in an operation by the security forces in Beerwah area of Badgam district.
The troops recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition during the operations in the region.
Eight suspected militants were arrested along with a wireless set and two hand grenades during operations at Saloora, Bamloora, Thiru Lar and Karchan in Srinagar and its outskirts yesterday.
In another operation, the spokesman said the police apprehended a Pakistan-trained militant of the "Muslim Jaanbaz Force" and recovered an assault rifle, a pistol, a revolver, a grenade and a bomb during raids at Gusoo, Shikargah and Tral in Pulwama district.

TNS adds from Jammu: In stepped-up operations against militants, as many as 15 militants, including seven foreign mercenaries, were killed in different encounters in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. Five securitymen, including four Army jawans, were also killed.
The Army has launched search operations against a group of 15 militants, mostly foreign guerrillas, in the upper reaches of Surankot area of Poonch district where in an ambush, four jawans were killed and 13 wounded. Army sources said a 5 km area had been cordoned off in search of the militants who had fled into the forest belt.
For yet another day, Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy firing on Indian pickets and villages in the R.S. Pora and Samba sector today. For the past 10 days, farmers in over 200 villages have not been able to carry out paddy transplantation owing to the heavy firing.
Reports said activists of Tehrik Islami Jehad ambushed troops taking shelter in a school building in Surankot because of heavy rain. According to official reports, militants fired 60 rounds.
Eyewitness accounts said the militants opened fire on the troops from two directions.

Another Amarnath pilgrim dead
SRINAGAR, July 13 (PTI) — One more Amarnath pilgrim died at Sheshnag today taking the toll during the ongoing pilgrimage to six, an official spokesman said here.
The deceased was identified as Prasad son of Ram Lal of Kothai, Ahmedabad.
JAMMU: The pilgrimage would continue till August 8 to coincide with the "rakhi" festival, officials here said, adding that so far about 24,000 pilgrims had paid their obeisance.
The number of pilgrims could cross one lakh this year against 80,000 as anticipated.