2 Punjab ultras held in Jammu
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Sept 19 — A top militant of the Harkat-ul-Ansar who was the brain behind the Champnari and Thakraie massacres and another militant have been killed and 12 militants, including two activists of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), captured and six of their hideouts smashed in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

He said two Sikh militants of the Khalistan Zindabad Force Jagdev Singh alias Romi and Tejinder Singh, alias Shunti, were arrested in the Ramgarh area of the Jammu region last evening.

At their instance 20 packets of explosive (each containing one kg) were recovered from a hideout in the Jeevan Nagar area, he said.

The killed militant identified as Abid Hussain, alias Harish, was the brain behind the killing of 42 persons of minority community in Champnari, Thakraie and Sarwana villages of Doda district in the recent past, a report from Jammu quoting official sources said.

On a specific information, Rashtriya Rifles troops launched an operation to nab the hiding militants in Ganika village in Doda district yesterday. In the ensuing gunfight Abid Hussain was killed. A pistol, one grenade and two magazines were seized by the troops. Other accomplices of Hussain escaped into forests, the sources said.

Another militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Lappridar-Mahore in Doda district of the Jammu region yesterday, the spokesman said.

A jawan and a civilian received splinter injuries when militants hurled a grenade on a security picket in the Lal Bazar area on the outskirts of Srinagar last night. Later three militants were arrested, the spokesman said.

Seven more militants, including a self-styled section commander of the Hizbul-Mujahideen, were arrested from Srinagar, Baramula and Anantnag districts, he said adding a pistol, six hand grenades and some ammunition rounds were recovered from them.

Six militant hideouts were smashed by the security forces as part of anti-militant drive and seized one AK rifle, four rocket projectile guns, two remote control devices, two 12 bore guns, four kg of explosives, 66 hand grenades and rifle grenades and 40 detonators from the hideouts in Anantnag, Kupwara and Srinagar.

A security vehicle suffered extensive damage when it ran over an improvised explosive device planted by militants at Dudali-Gandoh in Doda district yesterday, he said.

JAMMU: Pakistan is said to have moved additional troops to areas across the Kargil sector after the Indian troops smashed half a dozen Pakistani bunkers in the past 24 hours.

Reports reaching here said that besides deploying additional troops Pakistan has moved heavy weaponry, including air defence guns and small range missile at several posts across Kargil. In the past two months Kargil town and its adjoining areas have seen heavy Pak shelling in which so far four army personnel and six civilians were killed.

In retaliation to heavy Pak shelling on Thursday the Indian troops pounded several Pakistan pickets and bunkers. Pakistan television today confirmed that the Indian troops had retaliated with artillery and mortar fire in which it alleged that 11 civilians were killed and six others were wounded.