The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, December 12, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

J A M M U & K A S H M I R

IED defused; four ultras shot in J&K
Srinagar, December 11
A major tragedy was averted when BSF men detected and defused a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) on a busy road, intended to target Army convoys, in the Kashmir valley where four militants were among five persons killed in separate incidents since last night, official sources said today.

Season’s first snowfall in Srinagar
Srinagar, December 11
Srinagar and several areas in the Kashmir valley, including the plains, received the season’s first snowfall today even as high altitude mountain ranges experienced snowfall for the second day triggering an intense cold wave in the entire region.

Jawan dies in Pak firing
Jammu, December 11
Army jawan Arvind Singh was killed when Pakistan Rangers opened unprovoked firing at the Liki post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district early today.

Senior BSF officers shouldering a coffin

Senior BSF officers shouldering the coffin of their colleague, Deputy Commandant Shamsher Singh, who laid down his life fighting militants in Kulgam area of South Kashmir. The mortal remains were taken to his hometown on Tuesday. —PTI photo

YOUR TOWN

Srinagar

EARLIER STORIES

	No talks with bureaucrats: APHC December 11, 2001
	Hawala, fake currency fuelling militancy in J&K December 10, 2001
	APHC plots killing of rivals: JKMM December 9, 2001
	2 Army intelligence men shot December 8, 2001
	Demand for poll under Governor’s rule December 7, 2001
	Pandits want ‘constituencies in exile’ December 6, 2001
	Rise in suicide attacks in J&K December 5, 2001
	Transit camp attacked December 4, 2001
	Farooq eyes Vice-President’s post? December 3, 2001
	Baramulla board allocates funds December 2, 2001

IED defused; four ultras shot in J&K

Srinagar, December 11
A major tragedy was averted when BSF men detected and defused a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) on a busy road, intended to target Army convoys, in the Kashmir valley where four militants were among five persons killed in separate incidents since last night, official sources said today.

A road-opening party of the BSF detected the IED, weighing 10 kg, planted by militants at Kulagam on the Sopore-Kupwara road in north Kashmir and aimed at passing Army convoys, they said.

Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the Army at Halsidar-Kapran in Anantnag district last night.

Two assault rifles and some ammunition and grenades were recovered from the killed militants, the sources said.

They said security forces shot dead two Hizbul Mujahideen militants in an encounter at Dar Ganai Gund in the tral area of Pulwama district last evening. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the militants.

The sources said militants shot dead one Ghulam Hassan Peer at Adfhan-Lolab in Kupwara district last night claiming him to be an informant.

A report from Jammu said militants injured two special police officers (SPOs) in Mendhar sector of Poonch district late last night.

The police said ultras hurled grenades at the house of Sham Lal, while the inmates were asleep, causing shrapnel injuries to his sons Sanjay and Sanjeev, both SPOs. PTI, UNI

Season’s first snowfall in Srinagar

Srinagar, December 11
Srinagar and several areas in the Kashmir valley, including the plains, received the season’s first snowfall today even as high altitude mountain ranges experienced snowfall for the second day triggering an intense cold wave in the entire region.

Intermittent snowfall was reported this afternoon in Srinagar and adjoining areas lashed by heavy rain since last night, reports said.

Yousmarg, Tousa Maidan, Beerwah Pakherpora and adjoining hilly areas in central Kashmir and Shopian, Keller, Ahribal and other areas in south Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall.

Heavy snowfall was reported along the Line of Control including Z-Gali, Keran, Tangdhar, Kernah in Kupwara district and Gurez, Bandipora and Uri in Baramula district.

Kupwara and Baramula district towns, along with adjoining areas, were lashed by heavy rain since last night while snow covered Baramula town for a short span this afternoon, ending a long dry spell much to the delight of the people, the reports said.

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg received mild snowfall, the second this season, while its peripherial areas housing health resorts like Khilanmarg, Baba Reshi and Alipather witnessed heavy snowfall, the reports said.

Pahalgam, Duksum and other health resorts in Anantnag witnessed mild snowfall, while the cave shrine area of Amarnath received heavy snowfall all along its route and adjoining areas, the reports said.

A report from Shimla said higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh experienced snowfall while mid-hills had rain last night, bringing a considerable fall in the temperature in the region.

High altitude areas in tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur and the Pangi valley in Chamba district and snowfall, intensifying the cold wave in these areas. PTI, UNI

Jawan dies in Pak firing

Jammu, December 11
Army jawan Arvind Singh was killed when Pakistan Rangers opened unprovoked firing at the Liki post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district early today.

Official sources said a villager, Ganesh, sustained shrapnel injuries in firing by Pakistan Rangers at Faqira Chak along the international boundary in Jammu district this morning. UNI