Mosque head among 15 killed in valley
SRINAGAR, June 25 — Fifteen persons, including nine militants, three security personnel and chairman of Kishtwar Jamia mosque, were killed and five security men were wounded in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

Relief plan for displaced persons
JAMMU, June 25 — The Centre and State governments have prepared an elaborate plan to provide adequate relief to the displaced persons from Kargil, Dras, Batalik and other nearby areas of Kargil district.

Mosque head among 15 killed in valley

SRINAGAR, June 25 (PTI, UNI) — Fifteen persons, including nine militants, three security personnel and chairman of Kishtwar Jamia mosque, were killed and five security men were wounded in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

Three militants were arrested and some arms and ammunition were seized by the security forces in the state during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

An Army officer, Lt Colonel N.V. Ragwan, and two foreign mercenaries were killed in an encounter at Machil sector in frontier district of Kupwara today, official sources said.

The sources said the encounter took place when an army patrol ambushed a group of militants attempting to sneak into the valley from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

Meanwhile, the police fired teargas shells and used lathis to disperse residents of Qamarwari in downtown Srinagar, who were protesting the alleged custodial death of a person.

Seven militants belonging to various outfits were killed in gunfights with troops at Brinjal-Handwara, Katwaranar forest, Bhonenar-Kalaroos, Budha-Shung forest and Dardpora in Kupwara last night.

Six AK assault rifles, a grenade thrower, a flame thrower, 15 grenades, three RPG rockets with two boosters, 11 plastic pipes filled with gelatine and a wireless set were recovered during the operations, he said.

He said a security jawan was killed and two others were wounded when militants attacked their vehicle with grenades at Saxum Dalwa in the Udhampur area of Jammu last evening.

Militants shot Ghulam Nabi Lone, chairman of the Jamia Masjid, when he was coming out of the masjid after offering prayers last evening.

Relief plan for displaced persons
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, June 25 — The Centre and State governments have prepared an elaborate plan to provide adequate relief to the displaced persons from Kargil, Dras, Batalik and other nearby areas of Kargil district. The armed intrusion by Pak-aided intruders has rendered about 23,000 persons homeless in the area.

As per the plan the state government will nominate a nodal officer to oversee the relief work. Special backup support will be provided to the district administration to survey the damage, identify the displaced persons and to implement relief mesures. Several components of the relief programme are already under implementation.

The union government has already reimbursed to the state government the costs of rations and other relief measures undertaken for persons affected by border firing in Kargil in 1998. A one-time grant of Rs 95 lakh was sanctioned on May 31, 1999.

Under this plan, the government will provide financial assistance for the replacement of destroyed houses and livestock. Free medical check ups and medical care will be provided to the displaced persons, especially to women, children and the aged at places of temporary accommodation. Free rations will be distributed to the displaced persons and clothes will also be distributed to them. The government will also bear the full cost of temporary accommodation for them within Ladakh district.

Panun Kashmir (PK), a frontline socio-political organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, has decided to mobilise international opinion against Pakistan. The organisation has decided to send a team of representatives to the USA for the purpose.

A team headed by the PK convenor, Dr Agnishekhar, has already left for the capital from where it will leave for the USA to participate in the meetings scheduled to start in the first week of July.