APHC-sponsored strike hits life in valley
SRINAGAR, May 11 — Life was paralysed in the valley today due to strike call by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference on the occasion of fourth anniversary of Chrar-e-Sharief tragedy.

Pak shelling forces civilians to flee
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 11 — Tension mounted on the Indo-Pakistan border when Pakistani troops resorted to heavy artillery fire in the Kupwara sector in west Kashmir forcing several hundred civilians to flee to safer places. Pakistani shells hit barren spaces causing no casualty. However, two houses were reportedly damaged partially forcing the Indian troops to retaliate who smashed six Pakistani bunkers.

For the third day in a row, the Shia-dominated Kargil town, including some neighbouring villages, were rocked by Pakistani shelling causing panic among the people. Majority of 12,000 persons in the town and its adjoining areas again fled to safer places. The town and its neighbouring villages, including Kurbathan, wore a deserted look for the third day today. Work in government offices, educational institutions and banks remained paralysed.

Senior government functionaries went to the army bases from where they were running skeleton district administration. Reports received here said several hundred families have been camping in bunkers which had been constructed last year at Kaksar, Budgam, Hardas, Chanigund and in three other villages.

These bunkers were built after 40 civilians, eight soldiers were killed and 73 persons, including 19 security personnel, were injured in intermittent but heavy Pakistani shelling on Kargil town during the last two years.

Reports said that since Sunday's shelling one civilian had been killed and three others were wounded. Two civilians were wounded in today's heavy Pakistani firing. Unofficial reports said that five Pakistani soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in Indian retaliatory fire during the last three days.

Meanwhile, six persons including four infiltrators and a security jawan, were killed in separate incidents in Rajouri and Poonch during the past 24 hours, a UNI report said.

A civilian, Sushma Devi, was seriously injured when Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions in Samba sector last evening. BSF troops retaliated, there were no reports of loss of life.

In a three-hour gunbattle last evening between the security forces and militants in Kharoni village in Rajouri district, three militants, suspected to be infiltrators, were killed a jawan also lost his life.

In an encounter at Gai Chupata forest, 6 km north of Rajouri, a foreign militant of outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen was killed.

An AK-47 rifle, one disposable flame thrower, five magazines and three hand grenades were seized during the operation.

Civilian Mohammad Bashir was killed when he was caught in cross-firing at Pleara Nallah village in Poonch district last evening.

Sixtyfour nationals of Bangladesh were arrested today near the border outpost of Ala Mai Kothi in R.S. Pura sub-sector of the Jammu region, a BSF spokesman said here, a PTI report said.

These Bangladeshis — 29 men 23 women and 12 children — brought here by some touts from West Bengal were trying to infiltrate into Pakistan from R.S. Pura side.

APHC-sponsored strike hits life in valley
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, May 11 — Life was paralysed in the valley today due to strike call by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) on the occasion of fourth anniversary of Chrar-e-Sharief tragedy.

Shops, business establishments, banks and educational institutions were closed here. Attendance in government offices was thin. There was reduced traffic on city routes, as only private vehicles and auto-rickshaws were plying on the roads. Passenger transport piled on some of the city routes.

Other major towns of the valley including Anantnag,Baramula, Sopore and Pulwama also observed shut-down in response to the bandh call of the APHC. The police here said that complete bandh was observed here and in other major towns of the valley. Traffic in the city was suspended while it plied normally in rural areas, the police here said.

Holy shrine of Sheikh Nooruddin Wali at Chrar-e-Sharief, 30 km south-west of here in Budgam district was gutted in an encounter between militants and security forces on this day in 1995. Nearly 800 houses were also gutted in the operation. The authorities here blamed militants led by 'major' Mast Gul for the destruction, while militants and separatists blamed the government for the damage caused to the shrine and the houses.

Mast Gul escaped the scene and fled to Pakistan, while at least nine of his associates were killed in the encounter.

Pak gameplan foiled
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 11 — The Indian troops have foiled a major Pakistani gameplan of creating war-like situation in Poonch and Rajouri Sectors by eliminating 12 top militants, including four district and areas commanders of two rebel outfits, in the two border districts during the past three days.

Among the three top militants killed yesterday were Zulfikar Ahmed, alias Saifullah, district commander of the Harkat-ul-Jehede Islami, and Ahsan Tiger, area commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The government claims that the Army's "seek and destroy" operation has given a jolt to the ISI strategy in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Defence Ministry sources said Zulfikar Ahmed was involved in the killing over 12 persons and in torture, rape and extortion cases. Ahsan Tiger, too, had killed several people.

The sources said Zulfikar was a key ISI agent operating in Poonch and Rajouri districts during the past several months. He helped new groups of foreign mercenaries to establish their bases in the upper reaches of Poonch and Rajouri and masterminded several attacks on security pickets and convoys.

Reports say since January, 1999, militants have been active in Poonch, Rajouri and the upper reaches of Udhampur and Doda, necessitating the troops to start "seek and destroy" operations under which more than 175 militants, including over 110 foreign mercenaries, have been killed in several parts of Jammu during the past 130 days.

Most of these killings have been the result of Army and police action on specific information by local residents.

As far as the recovery of arms and ammunition from Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Doda districts during the past 130 days is concerned the police says that it is sufficient to equip a battalion of the security forces. The seizure of 75 assault rifles, 30 country made and .303 rifles, 25 pistols/revolvers, guns and bombs, 150 grenades and 140 kg of high grade explosives indicate that arms smugglers have been acting in helping the militants in carrying heavy weapons and ammunition while infiltrating into the Jammu region from across Poonch and Rajouri.

Government sources say Zulfikar and Ahsan Tiger had been assigned with the task of ensuring supply of arms and ammunition to militants hiding in alpine forest belts and recruiting local youth. As far as supply of weapons and explosives was concerned.