Jammu Srinagar

Jailbreak bid by Pak detainees
JAMMU, June 15 — Eleven Pakistani detainees tried to escape from the Kot Bhalwal jail, 10 km from here, by digging a tunnel in which one of them died of asphyxiation early today.

Survey to assess child labour
SRINAGAR, June 15 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government will conduct a survey to assess the actual number of children engaged in various occupations in the state so that effective steps can be taken for their rehabilitation, the state Labour Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmad, said today.

6 killed as truck falls into nullah
JAMMU, June 15 — Six persons were killed and three injured when a truck skidded off the road and rolled down into Regi nullah in Doda district late last night, the police said.

NC activist shot dead
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 15 — An activist of the ruling National Conference (NC) was among five persons killed while eight security force personnel were injured in separate incidents of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

Unidentified militants intruded into the house of Abdul Aziz Malik, a lawyer and zonal president of the National Conference, district Kupwara unit, at Galoora in the Handwara areas and shot him dead. His PSO, Ghulam Rubani was seriously injured in the attack while the militants decamped with his carbine. The fleeing militants also set ablaze the official Gypsy of the NC activist.

Militants shot dead Nazir Ahmad Lone, a surrendered militant in his house at Sonamullah, in Kupwara district last evening, the police said today.

A constable of the fire services was killed in a shootout in Maharaja Bazar here last evening. He has been identified as Gul Akbar. The police said militants shot at a shopkeeper, Mohammad Sayed Mir, when Gul Akbar also received a bullet injury. Both were shifted to the hospital, where Gul Akbar died.

Militants shot dead Nazir Ahmad Shah at Nechipora in the Dooru area of Anantnag district last night.

At least eight jawans of the security forces were injured, four of them seriously, when militants fired at their vehicle at Dalri, Panzla in Baramula district last evening. The injured have been admitted to the hospital here.

Two persons were kidnapped by militants from Baramula and Pulwama districts. Ahmed of Nand Mohammal was kidnapped from Takiya Bahram Shah in Baramula district last night. A government school teacher, Nazir Ahmed Mir was kidnapped from his house at Kralchak in Pulwama.

An intruder was killed by the security forces at in the RS Pura sector in Jammu, and some Indian currency was seized.

Shabir Shah detained

SRINAGAR, June 15 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) President, Shabir Ahmad Shah, was detained at Sonmarg, 84 km from here, today while trying to proceed to Kargil, official sources said.

Kargil has been declared out of bounds for civilians, including mediapersons, in view of the ongoing conflict between Indian Army and Pakistan-backed intruders since last month.

Mr Shah, was detained along with four of his top aides, the sources said.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Shabir Shah had announced his plan to visit Kargil to meet the displaced persons there.

He said he had formally approached the authorities to be granted permission for the visit but had been denied.

Jailbreak bid by Pak detainees

JAMMU, June 15 (UNI) — Eleven Pakistani detainees tried to escape from the Kot Bhalwal jail, 10 km from here, by digging a tunnel in which one of them died of asphyxiation early today.

At least 10 security personnel sustained minor injuries while preventing the jailbreak amidst stone-pelting by the detainees.

Jail Superintendent Gurdeep Singh said the security staff got suspicious on hearing some unusual noises in the jail premises at around 0215 hours. They discovered that the inmates were attempting a jailbreak by digging a tunnel.

He said the detainees started throwing stones when they were challenged and the security staff had to use force to control them. No detainee was injured.

However, one of then, Sajjad Ali, was found unconscious inside the tunnel. He died later.

George visits forward areas

JAMMU, June 15 (UNI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today visited the forward areas in the Jammu region to take stock of the situation.

An official spokesperson said here this evening that Mr Fernandes, accompanied by the Army Chief, General V.P. Malik, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Lt-General H.M. Khanna and other senior Army officials visited the border areas in the Samba sector.

Mr Fernandes confined his visit to the Army units deployed in the border areas keeping in mind the tension on the Indo-Pak border, he added.

It is understood that the minister discussed strategic positions with the Army officers.

He also conversed with the jawans.

The Defence Minister appreciated the morale of the jawans fighting in the Kargil sector.

Mr Fernandes after a three-day visit to the state returned to Delhi today.

Survey to assess child labour

SRINAGAR, June 15 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government will conduct a survey to assess the actual number of children engaged in various occupations in the state so that effective steps can be taken for their rehabilitation, the state Labour Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmad, said today.

District level committees headed by Deputy Commissioners will soon be set up with assistant labour commissioners as member secretaries for conducting a child survey at the block level, the minister told a meeting of officials.

He said the staff of the Education, Social Welfare, Revenue and Rural Development Departments would be deputed for the purpose, while officers of the Labour Department, besides making random checks, would ensure authenticity of the survey conducted by the committees.

The survey in Kashmir province would start from July 19, the minister said.

Referring to the expenditure on fresh survey, the minister said the Centre was being approached for the purpose.

6 killed as truck falls into nullah

JAMMU, June 15 (PTI) — Six persons were killed and three injured when a truck skidded off the road and rolled down into Regi nullah in Doda district late last night, the police said.

The police said today that the truck carrying nine persons, including the driver, skidded off the road while crossing a blind curve and rolled down the hill into the nullah.

Six bodies had been recovered from the river by Army jawans who had launched a rescue operation to trace the remaining persons, the sources said.

The dead had been identified as Desh Raj, Surinder Kumar, Zaffar Hussain, Ameet, Kulwant Singh and Suresh Kumar, the sources said.

Three others, who were rescued by the Army had been hospitalised.