Search operations harass residents
SRINAGAR, Nov 11 — Thousands of residents around Badami Bagh Cantonment here are facing the brunt of the security forces following militants' attack on the Corps headquarters in which the Defence PRO and four of his colleagues were killed on Wednesday last.

J&K orders probe into double murder
SRINAGAR, Nov 11 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident in which a couple was killed in a crossfire between the security forces and militants near Nowhatta police station here on Sunday.

Pollution control steps in Jammu
JAMMU, Nov 11 — The Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board has asked the Chief Engineer, Electricity, Jammu, to disconnect power supply to the Anuradha Stone Crusher and the Anuradha Grit Udhyog at Bantlab, Jammu, forhtwith as these units affecting the residents of the area.

Search operations harass residents
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 11 — Thousands of residents around Badami Bagh Cantonment here are facing the brunt of the security forces following militants' attack on the Corps headquarters in which the Defence PRO and four of his colleagues were killed on Wednesday last.

Cordon and search operations were launched by the security forces in Lasjan, close to the cantonment, this morning. The residents alleged they were harassed during search operations and held protest demonstrations against the security forces' action.

Similar cordon and house-to-house searches were conducted in other localities of Gupkar Road, Sonwar, Shivpora, Indira Nagar and Batwara yesterday. All these localities fall on either side of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The restrictions have also affected heavy vehicular traffic coming from Jammu and other parts of the country. The road is the only surface link of the Kashmir valley with the rest of the world. The residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is located on Gupkar Road. His neighbours were among the sufferers during the past week.

This is for the first time during the past three years that the security forces reverted back to the practice of cordon and searches coupled with identification parade of the male residents in the capital. The practice had become a common feature in the city and rural areas since 1990 when armed militancy erupted in the valley. The National Conference government in January 1997 had relieved the population of harassment in such day-to-day search operations. The searches to flush out any suspects have been on specific targets only while there have been lesser number of such search operations.

As part of the renewed searches and restrictions, the Army authorities have also forced the shifting of Government High School, Badami Bagh to Sonwar. The candidates who are appearing in class IX annual examinations had to be shifted to Sonwar. The sufferers also included patients of G.B. Pant Hospital located in the area.

Two foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba organisation were killed in retaliatory action by the Army at the cantonment on last Wednesday evening. They were identified as Abu Talba and Abu Hamea, and were reported to be part of a suicide squad of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, according to Maj-Gen J.R. Mukherjee, Chief of Staff at the 15 Corps headquarters. The Lashkar-e-Toiba, which has its base in Pakistan, has asked its members of step up the offensive in Kashmir. Six soldiers, including Major P. Purushottam, were killed when the militants attacked the cantonment on November 3.

An emergency meeting of the Unified Headquarters headed by the Chief Minister was convened here on November 9. The meeting was attended by the Director-General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, senior officers of the Army, the BSP, the ITBP and senior state government officers including the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly. The meeting decided to impose certain restrictions on the traffic plying on the highway connecting south Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Pulwama with the capital. The meeting decided that movement of passenger buses, minibuses and load carriers would be restricted from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. There would be no restrictions on the movement of light vehicles and two-wheelers during the 15 hour restriction period.

Commuters from different areas of Kashmir were stopped on Wednesday evening from entering the area. The vehicles coming from Jammu were diverted at Pantha Chowk via by pass. The residents stranded at Sonwar thus had a tough time seeking entry to their houses in the area.

11 killed in train blast

JAMMU, Nov 11 (PTI) — At least 11 persons were killed and about 100 injured when a bomb ripped through a compartment of a Delhi-bound train minutes before it entered the Kandrori station, about 109 km from here, tonight, Railway and police sources said.

The bomb went off in the general compartment of 2404 Dn Puja Express, which left Jammu at 6 p.m., as it was about to enter the station on Jammu-Himachal border at 8.30 p.m.

The injured were admitted to Pathankot Military Hospital. No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast.

J&K orders probe into double murder

SRINAGAR, Nov 11 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident in which a couple was killed in a crossfire between the security forces and militants near Nowhatta police station here on Sunday.

The District Magistrate, Srinagar, has been appointed inquiry officer and has been asked to submit his report on the incident within a month, an official announcement said today.

The government order follows widespread condemnation of the incident by various political, social and trade union bodies that have termed it as a "cold-blooded double murder".

Mohammad Ashraf Bazaz, a Jammu and Kashmir bank employee and his pregnant wife, Shameema, of the Alamgari Bazar locality were going in an autorickshaw to hospital when they were caught in the crossfire as the security forces were repulsing a militant attack on Nowhatta police station, the police said.

However, residents alleged that the couple was killed by the security forces without any provocation, a charge denied by the BSF.

Meanwhile, employees of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank will observe tomorrow as a ‘protest day’.

Pollution control steps in Jammu
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 11 — The Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board has asked the Chief Engineer, Electricity, Jammu, to disconnect power supply to the Anuradha Stone Crusher and the Anuradha Grit Udhyog at Bantlab, Jammu, forhtwith as these units affecting the residents of the area.

Stating this here yesterday, the Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board (PCB), Mr Inatyullah, said these units were operating unauthorisedly and violating norms set by the PCB. He said about eight units including stone crushers and hot mixing plants, were operating in the Bantlab area.

He said the Vishal Stone Crusher operating in the Bantalab area has been closed following a court directive.