M A I N   N E W S

25 Al-Qaida men in valley?
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 27
A group of about 25 Al-Qaida members led by Mullah Abrar, a close associate of Osama bin Laden, is believed to have sneaked into the Kashmir valley in the past two weeks.

Giving this information, IGP, Kashmir Range, Mr K. Rajendra, said here this evening that the reports were unconfirmed but the police and intelligence agencies were working on more inputs from a number of militants of the Hizb ul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Majahideen arrested recently. Having received information following the arrest of Abdul Rashid Lone, alias Ishfaq Moulvi, near here this month, the police has arrested two more key persons in different raids. They included Ghulam Qadir Najar from the Nishat area here and Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of the Kashmir Awareness Bureau (KAB), New Delhi. Bhat, who had been on a special mission to discuss issues related to the US ban on the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad outfits, was held here today, the IGP said.

Mr K. Rajendra confirmed that Ghulam Qadir Najar of the Nishat area on the outskirts of Srinagar city, who was held by the police had links with Qamar Ayub, a top militant from Pakistan. Militants of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen had an established hideout in the house of Najar, the police said. Qamar Ayub had been closely linked to Al-Qaida organisation of Osama bin Laden. The police claimed that Qamar Ayub had been working for the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and was now working for Al-Qaida. A number of Al-Qaida members had been staying in the house of Najar, the IGP said in reply to questions. He added that the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfit was now working as Al-Qaida in the valley.

As part of constant offensive against militants, the police, according to Mr K. Rajendra, had also arrested one person from the Shopian area in Pulwama district of south Kashmir and recovered Rs 20 lakh from him. With this the police had recovered a total amount of Rs 90 lakh meant for the Hizb ul Mujahideen outfit during three separate operations since December 7 last. Following disclosures by Rashid Lone of Hizb ul Mujahideen held here on December 7 last, the police had also recovered 9 AK 47 rifles, one SLR, IEDs, rockets, Army uniforms and Army tents from seven hideouts in north Kashmir, the IGP said.

Meanwhile, seven local militants, who had recently returned from across the border after getting arms training, surrendered before the police and laid down their arms before the IGP at the Police Control Room here this evening.

3 top Lashkar men shot
30 hurt in grenade attack
Tribune News Service and PTI

Srinagar, December 27
Three top LeT militants, including a self-styled “divisional commander” of the outfit and a member of the suicide squad that attacked the Jammu railway station, and three Army men were killed in a fierce encounter in Anantnag district of south Kashmir today.

Elsewhere in the state, six ultras and five security personnel were among 16 persons killed since last night, a police spokesman said.

Three LeT militants, hiding in the house of lecturer Ghulam Mohammad Mir, were killed after a gunfight with the Army which lasted several hours at Tailwani in Achabal area of Anantnag district today, he said. Three jawans were also killed in the encounter which completely damaged the house.

The slain ultras included LeT divisional commander for south Kashmir Abu Furqan and another top militant involved in the suicide attack on Jammu railway station, Mohammad Sulffi, he said, adding search operation in the village was still on.

Thirty persons, including three policemen, were injured when a grenade hurled by militants at the vehicle of the Badgam SP missed the target and exploded on the road in Badgam town this afternoon.

However, the SP, Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, escaped unhurt, they said.

Four Army jawans and an LeT ultra were killed in the Surankote sector of Poonch district last night, he said. Two militants were killed by the Army in Darhal tehsil of Rajouri district today.

Police releases sketch of Gazi Baba
J.T. Vishnu
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 27
The Delhi Police today released the photograph of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and two sketches of JeM supreme commander Gazi Baba and his close associate Tariq holding them responsible for the December 13 attack on Parliament.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand said this evening that Azhar along with Gazi Baba and Tariq have been responsible for planning, supply of arms and ammunition, financing and providing logistic support to the terrorists for entering the precincts of the Parliament House for the attack.

Mr Chand said Azhar, Gazi Baba and Tariq are wanted for conspiring and aiding and abetting the attack on the Parliament House. “Anybody providing information about the trio would be rewarded handsomely,” he announced.

The police took two weeks to release the sketches of Gazi Baba and Tariq. These were prepared on the description provided by Mohammad Afzal, the chief coordinator of the JeM in Delhi presently in police custody.

JeM’s Maulana Azhar, who was bartered for the safe release of the passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft in December 1999, had been kept under house arrest a couple of days ago by the Pakistani government and released subsequently.

The police said Gazi who hails from Punjab province of Pakistan, is six feet tall with wheatish complexion, medium built, has silky black hair and is fluent in Urdu, English and Punjabi.