The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, December 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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More explosions rattle border belt
Tribune News Service

Suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba militants launched a suicide attack on the camp of 11 Rashtriya Rifles adjacent to the Sachroo police station in Kishtwar of Doda district in Jammu region this evening. The security forces retaliated and the gunfight was on when reports last came in.

Jammu, December 14
At least 34 IED blasts rattled the border belt between Narainpur and Chamlial in Samba sector late last night, according to delayed official reports reaching here today.

Senior BSF officials said in all 61 IED blasts were registered, 27 in the Kanachak area of Akhnoor sector, and 34 in Samba sector yesterday.

There was no loss of life or property on this side of the border.

However, eyewitness reports said some mines, planted by Pakistan troops, had blasted owing to fire in the tall “sarkanda” grass.

In the wake of these blasts BSF jawans have been directed to remain alert on the international border.

Meanwhile, two militants belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed by troops at Garkhal in Akhnoor sector. The militants, who belonged to the Udhampur district, had recently crossed into Jammu from across the border in the Army uniform.

Some villagers had spotted them as one of them was wearing white rubber shoes. According to a senior Army officer, these militants were moving towards Jammu without weapons. When they were taken into custody and asked to disclose the place where they had concealed weapons and explosives they tried to run away and were killed in the process.

Armymen display arms and cash recovered from militants in the Pattan area of Baramula district on Friday.
— Photo Amin War

SRINAGAR: Security forces seized Rs 32 lakh from a hideout following the killing of three militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen, including its divisional commander, in the Pattan area of Baramula district on Thursday.

A divisional commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Nazir Ahmad Yattoo, alias Shakir Gaznavi, alias Mohiuddin, and two foreign militants were killed in a fierce, gunbattle at Goshbugh, near Pattan, in Baramula district on Thursday. A defence spokesman said Nazir Ahmad Yattoo coordinated and raised finances for all militant activities in the area.

The Army and the SOG cordoned off Goshbugh village, near Pattan, on the basis of specific information about the presence of militants. Three militants including the divisional commander, were killed in the encounter that followed.

The recoveries included five AK rifles, one SLR, one pika gun, two UBGL, three IEDs, eight wireless sets, six antennas, one magazine, 148 electric detonators, two AK ammunition boxes, 21 UBGL rounds, four hand grenades, 11 boosters and 10 RPG rockets. An amount of Rs 32.62 lakh was seized from the hideout, the defence spokesman said.

Last week the police had arrested Abdul Rashid Lone during a routine check of vehicles on the Srinagar-Baramula highway and had seized Rs 40 lakh from him.

Meanwhile, a PTI report, said a joint network of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and the Al-Umar Mujahideen was smashed by security forces who arrested seven top militants of the two outfits, responsible for grenade-throwing and firing incidents here since last year, a BSF official said on Friday.

The arrests were made from downtown Srinagar on Thursday and the security forces recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition, the DIG BSF, Mr R.S. Bhullar, told reporters here.