Posted on 08/12/2003 10:55:18 AM PDT by swarthyguy
JAMMU, Aug 11: Six army soldiers and five militants including a ‘commander’ of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit were killed while four jawans were injured and a militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was captured in separate incidents across the region overnight.
Four army jawans and a militant were killed in a fierce encounter at village Daneka in Kalsian area in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district this afternoon, official sources said.
They said the operation took place when an army team was ambushed by a big group of militants. Other militants escaped during an hour long exchange of gun fighting. Enforcement of troops has been rushed to the spot to eliminate the militants.
Army jawans, killed in the operation, have been identified as Surinder Kumar, Naik Gopal Ram, Surinder Singh and Surinder Datakwala. Identity of the slain militant, who is said to be a foreign mercenary, hasn’t been established. One AK rifle and some ammunition were recovered from him.
"It is being ascertained as to whether the militants were part of a fresh group of infiltrators", the sources said. This was the second major militancy-related incident in Nowshera tehsil in less than a month. In July ending, the militants had gunned down four civilians and wounded two others in Nowshera.
In Pakistan shelling, an army jawan Balwinder Singh was killed and three other soldiers were injured at Nangi post in Chalas village, located on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector this morning. Injured jawans have been admitted in a Military Hospital.
Pakistan army resorted to shelling in entire Chalas sub sector. Shelling was replied by the Indian side and some casualties were expected on other side of the LoC but there were no details.
Another army jawan lost his life while his colleague was injured when a night patrol party was ambushed by the militants at Hari, Surankote in Poonch district in wee hours of this morning. The patrol was returning to its camp when it was ambushed by a group of militants, who had forcibly taken shelter in the house of one Sharif.
Militants escaped after the ambush.
Meanwhile, troops of 23 Rashtriya Rifles and police today gunned down a JeM ‘commander’ in an encounter at Sofian Wali Gali in Neel area of Banihal tehsil in Doda district, DIG Udhampur-Doda range Satvir Gupta said. He identified the slain ‘commander’ as Shabir Ahmed, a resident of Karyar, Pakistan.
One AK rifle, one wireless set and four grenades were recovered from the encounter site. Yesterday, army and police had killed two militants in Banihal. An army jawan had also lost his life.
Another militant was killed at Atal Maidaan in Atholi area in Kishtwar tehsil this evening, he said, adding the killed ultra hasn’t been identified. One AK rifle and two magazines were recovered from him.
Army eliminated one militant in Keri sector on the LoC in Rajouri today. He was infiltrating into the Indian territory when he was gunned down by the troops. He remained unidentified.
One more militant was killed by the troops in Surankote. He has been identified as Ali Mohd Rashi alias Sikander.
Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) today captured a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mohd Yusuf alias Mithu son of Abdul Ahmed, a resident of Pangam, Basantgarh in Udhampur district. He was arrested from a hideout in Basantgarh. One hand grenade was recovered from him, the sources said.
On the basis of disclosures made by Mohd Yusuf, the BSF teams have launched two search operations in Basantgarh to eliminate Hizbul Mujahideen militants.
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Two ultras of Poonch nabbed Police foil terrorist bid to disrupt I-Day celebrations
Excelsior Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 11: Delhi police on Monday claimed to have foiled a major terrorist bid to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations in the Union capital.
With the dramatic capture of two members of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Delhi police recovered from them arms, ammunition and some documents.
The two LeT activists, who were nabbed in the well-known Palika Bazar in Connaught Place at around 2200 hours on Sunday, hail from Poonch district of Jammu region. According to Manoj Lall, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi district), the duo fled to the Union capital when they were identified after an encounter in which one of their associates was arrested.
The duo—Aftab Ahmed alias Tabi alias Bada and Altaf Hussain alias Chhota—were in the capital to establish a base, Manoj Lall told media persons. They were arrested following a tip-off with New Delhi district police about their presence in the capital, he said.
Certain documents, including the map of Delhi, a Chinese pistol and a wireless set were recovered from them.
Aftab and Altaf, it was disclosed, were being interrogated to ascertain their exact targets and modus operandi. The police were also questioning them to find out if there were more LeT ultras in Delhi.
The arrest of Aftab and Altaf followed intelligence intercepts, indicating the presence of some Lashkar fidayeen members in the national capital.
Answering questions, Manoj Lall said that the two could have been a part of a LeT module to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations and could have been sent as an advance team to check the police alertness in the capital.
Manoj Lall was of the view: "If they would have escaped unnoticed, a second team of the LeT could have arrived to carry out incidents of violence".
Lall said that the two, allegedly involved in a number of terrorist acts in Poonch and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, had come to Palika Bazar parking to meet an associate.
The DCP said that the captured duo had told their interrogators that they were on the lookout for a "suitable hideout" in Delhi so that their other associates could join in later.
Manoj Lall had yet another sensational piece of information: The two ultras, after establishing the base, were to go to Saudi Arabia from where they could do networking and arrange money for terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country through hawala channels.
He said that the recovery of a Chinese pistol and a wireless set clearly indicated that they were "mostly involved in providing information and intelligence inputs to their LeT bosses".
Lall also said that the two had received instructions from LeT commanders across the border to shift to Delhi to establish "a safe hideout". They were directed to carry their personal weapon and communication system and wait for further instructions, he added.
Aftab and Altaf, who have been booked under the IPC and the Army Act, had been told a few days back that some other activists would meet them in Palika Bazar and before such a meeting could take place, they were captured, Lall revealed.
Security in Delhi is always put on high alert ahead of the Independence Day. This year, security agencies are extra vigilant because of the recent fidayeen attack on the Army camp in J&K.
Inputs gathered by the intelligence agencies suggested that terrorists, mainly those owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, might use the opportunity to create fear and communal tension in Delhi and other places in the country.
Delhi police have increased vigilance at strategic buildings like Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament, South Block, North Block, those housing Union Ministries, AIR and Doordarshan.
The security in and around Prime Minister’s residence at the 7, Race Course Road has also been stepped up.
That strikes me as . . . odd.
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