6 BSF men killed in encounter
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 11 — While the Indian troops have launched search operations to eliminate or arrest a large group of Pakistani infiltrators who had sneaked into the Indian territory from across Faulad post at Leninmarg, the remote hilly belt of Gulmarg in Uri sector, 19 persons, including six BSF personnel, including an Inspector, and six militants were killed in a major encounter between the militants and the security forces at Panzipora near Sopore town today.

Official sources said the BSF jawans cordoned off the locality which was a militant hideout. The moment the BSF jawans encircled the area militants opened heavy fire, killing six jawans on the spot. It was followed by a heavy exchange of fire in which six persons, including three foreign mercenaries, were killed. The bodies of the civilians have been recovered.

The sources said the security forces had arrested a Gujjar recently and he had given information regarding the militant hideout at Panzipora. Additional forces were sent to the area to clear the belt of the militants.

Exchange of artillery and mortar fire between the Indian and Pakistani troops on the far end of Gulmarg in Uri sector continued for the third day today. Additional forces have been sent to the area for carrying out search operations against those infiltrators who had sneaked into Gulmarg-Uri belt under cover of heavy fire opened by Pakistani troops across Faulad post.

In the exchange of fire 17 Pakistani soldiers and four Indian Army men, including one Captain, were killed till yesterday.

Official sources said Pakistan's real plan was not to capture some Indian posts but to carve out a passage for Pak trained militants to infiltrate into Gulmarg subsector which could allow them an easy chance to reach Pattan and Baramula.

According to the sources, though the Indian troops foiled the Pak attempt to capture couple of India posts the enemy troops succeeded in pushing more then 50 to 100 rebels into the Indian territory.

The sources said Pakistan had brought large groups of militants close to the Line of Control across Gulmarg, Hajipir and Uri for repeating the 1965 infiltration programme. The Pak agencies had not envisaged that their plan would be frustrated by the Indian soldiers who retaliated smashing scores of Pak bunkers and killing 17 Pak army men.

In 1965, the Pak agencies had pushed into Kashmir groups of infiltrators, most of them army men, from across Gulmarg. The infiltrators had established hiding places at several places between Maagam and Gulmarg, including Tangmarg. One Gujjar, Din Mohd, had spotted some of the infiltrators and conveyed the information to some Army officers. Immediately, search operations were launched and several infiltrators killed, others arrested and many fled back to Pakistan.

According to Defence Ministry sources, suitable steps have been taken to prevent the infiltrators from marching to Pattan or Baramula or Srinagar. "We hope to catch them on the hilly belts between Leninmarg and Hajipir", the sources said.

Meanwhile, the state government has said the world famous tourist resort of Gulmarg was far away from the firing range of Pak gunners. In a statement issued here yesterday, the Commissioner, Tourism, Mr Parvez Dewan, said though Pak guns were active in Leninmarg area, a place quite far away from Gulmarg plateau, he advised tourists not to trek to distant places, including Kongdori and Leninmarg.

The snow-clad Gulmarg plateau has yet to receive tourists keen to take part in winter games. But at the same time there is a scare among the local people after reports of infiltration from across the border spread in the area.

UDHAMPUR: Nine persons were injured in a blast at Reasi bus stand at 7.15 p.m. The powerful blast rocked the congested bus stand at Reasi in Udhampur district.

Passengers ran helter skelter for safety. A police team rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the local hospital. The injured have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed, Vishal Puri, Surinder Kumar, Shams-u-Din, Bashir Ahmad, Tarsem Singh, Sanjay Kumar, Ram Singh and Romesh Chander.

Most of the injured were discharged after first aid. Two Matadore and one bus were damaged in the blast. The police said security had been tightened in and around the town.

Some suspects were rounded up later in this evening.