Soz hails Indo-Pak talks
Azad flays forces exploiting people

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, May 10: Cautioning people against machinations of certain forces trying to exploit masses for personal interests, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that such elements were enemies of progress and development.

Addressing a public meeting at Batagund, Handwara, he said emotional blackmailing and exploitation of innocence was their business for livelihood and amassing wealth and property. He said that children of common masses were made to fall prey to bullets during militancy but their own wards pursued careers and business outside the State.

"People have now understood the designs of these leaders", he said adding that politicking will no more succeed. "These elements make statements detrimental to development and mar tourism and economy. We will not allow them to do so", he asserted.

He said "we are determined to take the State to new highs of progress and carry forward the massive development projects launched for welfare of poor and economic stability of the State".

Mr Azad said militancy inflicted heavy losses on the State’s economy and progress besides irrecoverable loss of precious lives. "We have to pull the State out of this economic distress and ensure rapid development in all sectors to generate jobs and create public service infrastructure". However, he added peace was pre-requisite for development and roping in outside investors in the State for mega development projects.

Asking people to come out in large numbers and elect their representatives, the Chief Minister said that by exercising democratic right, people could elect the Government of their choice and ensure development in all areas. He said vote was the power in the hands of people by which they could create an honest, responsible and effective political system. "If you don’t use your important democratic power you lose the opportunity to transform the society for better", he said and cautioned the people against those who want them not to use voting power.

Referring to Indo-Pak relations, Mr Azad quoted the statements of Pak Defence Minister and other leaders that "Pakistan wants friendly ties with India and there will be no war on Kashmir". He said Pakistan leadership was for settling all issues amicably with India. "As such, befooling people over the issues was absurd".

Elaborating on development activities in Kupwara district during past two and a half years, he said that besides various projects taken up for execution, six major bridges were being constructed under double shift and a network of health and educational institutions created. He said while Rs 6.50 crore Mughalpora bridge had been thrown open for traffic, the five other bridges would be completed soon.

Union Minister for Water Resources Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz welcomed the election of democratically elected Government in Pakistan. He appreciated dialogue and peace process going on between the two countries and hoped that this would result in the lasting Indo-Pak friendship.

Prof Soz said that it has been endeavour of the Government to reach out to the people even in far-off areas and ensure their all round development. He said "a new era of development has commenced in the State and referred to major headway made in all spheres of economic progress". He announced that Rs 6.82 crore would be spent during the current financial year for augmenting irrigation facilities in Langate area.

Musharraf’s 4-point formula rejected
Gilani offers to go beyond UN resolutions

ISLAMABAD, May 10: Sending an encouraging signal ahead of the first high-level contact with Indian leadership, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has suggested a "rethink" on the Kashmir issue and offered to go "beyond" the UN resolutions to settle it.

"I think (the Kashmir issue) needs to be debated, there should be a rethink about it," he told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s programme "Devil’s Advocate".

Gilani’s remarks come days before External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee travels to Islamabad for talks with the new regime.

Hinting that Islamabad was willing to adopt a fresh approach, Gilani said "we want to go beyond (the UN resolutions) that. But, at the same time, we have to resolve the core issue as well".

Pakistan has for long held that resolution of the Kashmir issue has to be in consonance with UN resolutions which prescribes plebiscite, a demand consistently rejected by New Delhi.

Gilani, who will be briefed by Mukherjee, said Pakistan wants to maintain "extremely" good relations with its neighbours. "Yes, there are a few core issues which we want to resolve. At the same time, we want to maintain excellent and extremely good relations with our neighbours."

He added that the Kashmir issue would be discussed during Mukherjee’s two-day visit to Islamabad from May 21.

Indicating that his Government was looking for fresh approaches to dealing with outstanding issues, Gilani said the proposals discussed by President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were "half-baked that didn’t have the mandate of Parliament".

These included suggestions that there should be no alteration of boundaries and that borders should be made irrelevant.

"Now, the new Government has taken over, we have a Government that has a Prime Minister who was unanimously elected. We have the support of all the political forces in the country," he said.

Gilani rejected Musharraf’s four-point proposal for a solution on the basis of self-governance and joint management of Kashmir.

"Actually, that was the President’s idea. This is not the idea of the newly-elected Government," he said while emphasising that the Kashmir issue has to be resolved for "stable relations".

Gilani, however, made it clear that the aspirations of the people of Kashmir have to be taken on board in the process of resolving the Kashmir issue.

He replied in the negative on being specifically asked if respecting the aspirations of the Kashmiri people would tantamount to giving them the power to veto any decision made by India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

The process to resolve the Kashmir issue, he emphasised, must start from the UN resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

When it was pointed out to him that such an approach could disappoint India as it amounted to turning the clock back, Gilani replied: "this is not exactly what you think about it.

"It is that the people of Pakistan, who have given the mandate to the new Government ...There is a tremendous feeling that we want to resolve the Kashmir issue. Maybe, the procedures and modalities are different."

The ruling coalition led by the Pakistan People’s Party, Gilani said, would "take the other political forces into confidence because this Government is a broad-based Government. It’s a coalition of several parties and we have to take everybody on board."

He made it clear that the way forward would be not to forget Kashmir but to build trust and confidence to create a facilitating environment to resolve the issue. "That would be a conducive environment. We will have confidence-building and we can come closer."

The Prime Minister agreed with PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s contention that trust and confidence could be built through people-to-people contacts as well as trade, commercial and cultural ties as the two countries "share a lot of commonalties"

Gilani pointed to trade in cement and food items as an area where the two sides could make a beginning. He also noted that they were co-operating in the energy sector through the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

Asked if he agreed with Zardari’s stand that the Kashmir issue should not stop progress in other spheres of bilateral relations, Gilani replied: "to that extent, I agree. To that extent, if it (Kashmir issue) is not forgotten."

Gilani evaded a direct reply to a question on whether his Government would grant most favoured nation status to India, saying: "but we want to have an even playing field for both the countries (they) should be equally treated. We can think on those lines too."(PTI)

We have set an example of good governance: Mufti

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 10: Reiterating his resolve to remove regional disparities, former Chief Minister and patron of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said his Government has set an example of equitable and balanced development in the State.

Addressing a meeting at party headquarters here this evening, Mr Sayeed said that PDP led coalition regime has laid a foundation of mutual trust and confidence among inhabitants of different regions and sub-regions of the State. "Our Government treated all regions equally but backward and ignored regions were given special focus", the PDP patron said and challenged his opponent to come out with any evidence of discrimination with any regions or sub-regions during his regime.

"We have set an example how to deliver good governance. Our Government treated all regions and sub regions equally", he said and told the gathering that policies and programmes of the PDP were guided by wishes and aspirations of the people of the State. "Since its formation the PDP has been propagating restoration of lasting peace in this region", he said and added that it was all due to the policies of the party that a new path of development and tranquility has been carved out.

Cautioning people against vicious campaign launched by some vested interests against the party, Mr Sayeed pointed that issues taken up the PDP were supported by the successive Governments at the Centre. "Previous NDA regime headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee and present UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh whole heartedly supported initiatives taken by us for restoring peace in this region", he said while recalling historic rally of the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee at Kashmir in April 2002 when he had extended hands of friendship towards Pakistan at the time when tension was running high on borders.

‘‘What ever steps we initiated for restoring peace, successive regimes at Delhi endorsed our stand, he said and reiterated PDP's commitment to work as facilitator for solution of Kashmir problem with honour and dignity. "We are not for enjoying but to empower the common masses to elect Government of their choice", he said and recalled that it was all due to the efforts of PDP that Mr Vajpayee had announced from the Red Fort to conduct free and fair elections.

"Our biggest achievement is that we revived faith of the people in democratic institutions. Now people feel that they can elect Government of their own choice", he said.

"After formation of coalition regime we fulfilled these commitments and it is due to the policies being propagated by our Government that situation has been changed in the State. From Kathua to Kargil, people have been peacefully living on border", the former Chief Minister said and asserted "time is not far when Sialkote-Suchetgarh road would be opened as a trade to facilitate economic growth of the people living on both sides".

Earlier, former MLC Deepinder Kour joined PDP in the presence of party patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Trilok Singh Bajwa, MP, general secretary Dhaman Bhasin, vice-president and MLC Ved Mahajan, MLA Shanti Devi and other senior leaders attended the function.

4 killed, 18 injured in 2nd mishap in 2 days

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 10: The loss of precious lives in road accidents continue unabated with four passengers including two women getting killed and 18 others sustaining injuries, six of them critically, in second accident within a period of two days.

While the Kishtwar district was yet to come out of the shock of tragic and major accident of May 8 which snatched lives of 35 people, another accident took place in neighbouring Doda district this morning killing 4 persons and rendering 18 others wounded.

The ill-fated mini-bus bearing registration number JK14-5574 was on its way from Doda to Bharat when at Baswal, 18 kilometres from Doda town, the vehicle rolled 40 metre down due to the negligence of the driver and collided with several boulders before landing at the bottom of the gorge at around 9.30 am.

The same vehicle was challaned by the Doda Police on May 6 for carrying passengers beyond the seating capacity.

On the receipt of information about the accident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Doda, Manohar Singh alongwith police teams rushed to the spot and started rescue operation. Even the officers from civil administration reached the spot to ensure early shifting of injured passengers to the District Hospital.

After hectic efforts, all the 22 occupants of the ill-fated vehicle including driver and conductor were brought out of the gorge and shifted to hospital where four of them including two women were pronounced as brought dead by the doctors.

Since the condition of six passengers was critical, Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Khursheed Ahmed Bhat and SSP, Manohar Singh approached Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu, K Rajendra.

On the request of the divisional administration, an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper was pressed into service and the seriously injured six passengers were airlifted here for specialised treatment in the Government Medical College and Hospital. Their condition was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in.

The deceased have been identified as Shafiqa Begum, wife of Mushtaq Ahmed of Bharat, Ghulam Nabi Mir, son of Ghulam Qadir Mir of Beoli, Fayyaz Ahmed of Anantnag and Anara Devi, wife of Lal Chand of Doda.

The injured admitted in Government Medical College and Hospital have been identified as Abdul Gani, son of Ghulam Qadir of Bharat, Khursheed Ahmed, son of Ghulam Nabi of Doda, Girdhari Lal, son of Thakur Dass of Udainpur, Habib Parrey, son of Mama Parrey of Dhansi, Mohd Khalil, son of Ghulam Nayak of Padyarni and Salima Begum, wife of Mohd Khalil.

The injured undergoing treatment in District Hospital, Doda are Parvez Ahmed of Doda, Mohd Akbar, son of Abdul Rashid of Barshalla, Shakeel Ahmed, son of Jumma of Gandoh, Abdul Majid of Uttar Pradesh, Mehar Ali, son of Mehar Bani of Uttar Pradesh, Jyotishni, son of Hoshiar Chand of Doda, Tariq, son of Mohd Ayub of Poonch, Mehfooja Bano, daughter of Abdul Rahim of Bharat, Mohd Rafi, son of Mohd Shafi of Udainpur, Abdul Hussain, son of Abdul Latif of Beli, Doda, Samrina Bano, daughter of Habbu Parrey of Dhansi and Shalu, daughter of Hakim Singh of Doda.

Sources said that due to non-construction of parapets along the roads in the interior areas of the Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts even minor negligence on the part of drivers was resulting into vehicles plunging into gorges.

They stressed that on the lines of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, each and every road in the hilly districts be provided with parapets so that even after the negligence of the drivers, the parapets could prevent the vehicles from plunging into nullahs and gorges.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner announced to provide Rs 3000 each to seriously injured and Rs 5000 to next of kin of deceased besides free medical facility to those under-going treatment in Doda hospital.

He also ordered magisterial inquiry of the accident.

PM deputes Shyam Saran to assess border situation

NEW DELHI, May 10: Keen to ensure upgradation of the border infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has deputed his special envoy Shyam Saran to undertake a survey of the frontier areas of the State and suggest measures to improve it.

Saran, PM’s special envoy on nuclear issue and climate change, will visit border areas of Kashmir valley and Jammu region from tomorrow to see what needs to be done to improve the infrastructure along the Line of Control (LoC) and border with Pakistan.

During his five-day tour, the former Foreign Secretary will visit Uri, Tangdhar, Samba and Akhnoor among others, sources said here.

He will hold discussions with local authorities and officials of Army and BSF to ascertain the infrastructure needs that should be fulfilled, the sources said.

After the visit, he will submit his report to the Prime Minister, well before the May 21 Foreign Ministerial talks between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan have been discussing proposals for opening the LoC and border at various points to enhance contacts between people on the two sides.

During the upcoming talks, India is expected to press for launch of more cross-LoC bus services and propose some other confidence building measures.

During his talks with his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to press for launch of Kargil-Skardu and Jammu-Sialkot bus services, proposals regarding which have been pending for long.

The Indian side is also expected to propose increasing the frequency of fortnightly Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot bus services to make these weekly.

The two sides will also discuss operationalisation of the truck service on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route.

Liberalisation of the permit system used for travel across the LoC will also be on the agenda.

Saran’s visit is expected to give the Government at the highest level an assessment about the situation on the ground, the sources said.

Besides proper roads and connectivity, Saran’s mandate includes studying the availability of other needs like power, education, healthcare in the border and far-flung areas.(PTI)

RDX, explosives seized in Parmandal forests

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 10: Army and police today recovered a large quantity of explosive devices including 10 kg RDX from Parmandal forests under the jurisdiction of Vijaypur police station in Samba district.

The consignment had been concealed in a forest area.

GOC 26 Division Maj Gen D L Choudhary told a group of media persons that troops launched a search operation in Parmandal last night after developing a specific information that a consignment of explosives had been hidden by the militants in the area. The success was achieved this morning when the troops seized the consignment which include 10 kg RDX, three UBGL grenades, 33 detonators one radio set, a large quantity of Pika and AK rounds and one wire cutter.

No arrests were made from the spot.

Army and police continued searches during the day today but no suspicious movement was observed in the area.

Replying to questions, Maj Gen Choudhary said there appeared to be no relation in Thursday night’s infiltration attempt from Samba sector and today’s recovery of explosives from Parmandal. Both incidents didn’t appear to have any relation but such a possibility can’t be completely ruled out, he added.

According to him, the militants used to dump their consignments at secret and isolated places where a vigil is maintained by their over ground agents. The consignments are picked at opportune time.

Asked whether the recovery of explosive devices was a threat to forthcoming annual pilgrimage of Baba Amarnath shrine, Maj Gen Choudhary said the yatra always remained a target of the militants but security forces were always alert to the threat.

"We can’t say that explosive devices were meant to be used against Amarnath yatris but definitely the yatra remained a target of the militants", he said.

On infiltration, the GOC said it was virtually zero on international border though the militants keep on making attempts but "we don’t allow them to succeed".

He said there were reports that a number of militants were waiting across the border to sneak in but were unable to do so due to alertness displayed by the security forces.

Meanwhile, police continued search operations in Mansar, Majalta and forests surrounding Dhar Road to keep a search for the militants if they would have succeeded in crossing from Samba sector during Thursday night’s infiltration attempt which the BSF claimed to have foiled.

"On our part, we are taking no chances. Police, VDCs and local people have been fully mobilised along the infiltration routes", police said.

PM hopes Pak will maintain peace

NEW DELHI, May 10: Noting that infiltration attempts were being made from across the border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed hope that Pakistani authorities would do their best to maintain peace.

"We have to be alert. There are attempts of infiltration," Singh said when asked to comment on the foiling of a major infiltration bid by militants by the Border Security Force in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

"I hope that the authorities in Pakistan will do all their best to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border," the Prime Minister said.(PTI)

4 killed in Kashmir accident

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 10: Four people were killed and 23 injured in different road accidents in the Kashmir valley today, official sources said.

They said an over crowded vehicle on way to Sopore from Naid Khai turned turtle near Haritar resulting in on-the- spot death of four people and injuries to 18 others. The injured were admitted to different hospitals where the condition of some of them was stated to be critical.

The deceased passengers were identified a Ghulam Qadir Mir, Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Mohammad Maqbool Lone and Showkat Ahmad Lone.

In another accident, a motorcyclist was injured when a vehicle hit him at Sonawar. The injured was hospitalised.

A Police spokesman said another vehicle met with an accident at Farkin Top near CM Post in the frontier district of Kupwara resulting in injuries to four passengers.

Three of the passengers were airlifted and admitted to base hospital while one was admitted in sub-district hospital at Kupwara.

A house was also gutted in fire at Naik Bagh, Nowgam last night.

President presents Padma Awards

NEW DELHI, May 10: Noted industrialist Ratan Tata, NRI steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, metroman E Sreedharan, Chess wizard Viswanathan Anand and Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit were among the recipients of the Padma Awards from President Pratibha Patil today.

Former bureaucrat P N Dhar, former Chief Justice of India A S Anand and nobel-prize winning environmentalist R K Pachauri also received the prestigious Padma Vibhushan at a glittering function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Adding glamour to the event were Hollywood director Manoj Night Shyamalan, Punjabi folk singer Hans Raj Hans, versatile actor Tom Alter and footballer Baichung Bhutia, who received Padma Shri awards.

Melody Queen P Susheela and noted economists Lord Meghnad Desai, Kaushik Basu and Padma Desai also received the Padma Bhushan Award.

The best round of applause were reserved for Tata, who was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, Bhutia, Shyamalan and Dixit, who received the Padma Shri.

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams did not turn up to receive the Padama Bhushan while respected Russian diplomat Yuli Mikhailovich Vorontsov’s daughter received the award conferred on him posthumously.

Ignoring the clamour for Bharat Ratna triggered by BJP leader L K Advani’s letter to the Prime Minister proposing Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name, the Government decided against naming anyone for the award for the seventh consecutive year this time.

Bharat Ratna was last given in 2001 to Lata Mangeshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and several Union Ministers attended the function.

Among the Padma Bhushan recipients were Veena exponent Ustad Asad Ali Khan, industrialist Baba Neelkanth Kalyani, tribal leader Mian Bashir Ahmed, Inderjit Kaur, Jasdev Singh, Kantipudi Padmanabhaiah, Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, Suresh Kumar Neotia, Sushil Kumar Saxena, Viswanathan Ramachandran and Ravindra Kelekar.

Those who received Padma Shri included Aheibam Jayant Kumar Singh, Amitabh Mattoo, Barkha Dutt, Bholabhai Patel, Cannigaiper Uthamaroyan Velmurugendran, Pandit Gokulotsav Maharaj, Heisnam Sabitri, Indu Bushan Sinha, Jawahar Mattal, K S Nishar Ahmed and Kaleem Ullah Khan.

French national Colette Mathur and Russian theatre personality Gennadi Mikhailovich Pechnikov also received the honour.

Karuna Mary Braganza, Kasturi Lal Chopra, Kekoo M Gandhi, Kutikuppala Surya Rao, Madan Mohan Sabharwal, Mohan Chandra Pant, Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakkyar, Rakesh Kumar Jain, Sant Singh Virmani, Sheela Barthakur, Sirkazhi G Siva Chidambaram, Surjya Kanta Hazarika, Vellur Ramachandra Gowrishankar, Yella Venkateswara Rao, Mohammed Yusuf Taing also received the Padma Shri. (PTI)

HM commander held in Shopian

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 10 : A top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen has been arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police in Shopian district, a police spokesman said today.

Shahid-ul-Islam alias Shabir, divisional commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was arrested from Shopian district last night following a tip off, the spokesman said, adding that he was being questioned.

He said J-K Police and security forces have apprehended at least eight top commanders of the outfit in the Valley during the past four months.

He said on Shopian-Aharbal road police arrested a self styled district commander of HM Ahabir Ahmad Mir alias Shahid-ul-Islam along with one 7.62 mm pistol, two magazines and seven rounds.

He said SOG and 50 RR unearthed a hideout at Darbal Wuyan and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition including one AK 45 Rifle, one Magazine, 30 rounds of ammunition and 14 kg explosive materials. However, no one was arrested, he said.

Govt to woo UAE tourists to Valley

DUBAI, May 10: Officials of Kashmir Tourism and some private tour operators are actively participating in the Arabian Travel Mart here to persuade Arab and expatriate tourists to visit the picturesque Kashmir valley.

According to Kashmir Tourism officials, their stall in the Indian pavilion is getting very good response. A Kashmir Evening was organised in Royal Ascot Hotel in Dubai which was attended by travel agents, airline representatives and media personnel.

For the last few years, Kashmir’s Tourism officials and the other players have been making efforts to woo back tourists from the West Asia especially from the Gulf countries.

The important aspect of West Asian visitors has been the return of families after a gap of a couple of decades.

Prior to the outbreak of insurgency in 1990, a large number of Arab families used to visit the Valley and stay in shikaras (house-boats) on the Dal Lake and in chalets in Gulmarg, Pahalgam as well as in posh residential houses in Srinagar during the months of July and August.

However, in the last few years, tourism has been revived in a big way and foreign tourists have started coming back. The revival of Gulf traffic was initiated by the Galadari family from Dubai which visited Kashmir a couple of years back.

To begin with, direct flights from Dubai, Muscat, Jeddah, Bahrain, and Kuwait are proposed to be operated by Air India to Srinagar.

Currently, Air India is operating direct Haj flights from Srinagar to Jeddah with a refuelling stop at Sharjah. (UNI)

Mild earthquake in Bhadarwah

NEW DELHI, May 10: An earthquake, measuring 3.8 on the richter scale, today hit Bhaderwah town in Doda district.

The epicentre of the tremor, which was experienced at 1206 hrs, lay 33.3 degrees north, latitude and 76.7 degrees east longitude, the Indian Meteorological Department said.

There was no immediate word on loss of life or damage to property, officials said. (UNI)

28 kg heroin seized on border

ABOHAR, May 10: In a joint operation, sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue (DRI) and the customs seized 28 kg heroin from a truck close to the Punjab-Rajasthan border on the Abohar-Ganganagar road.

Giving details, Jodhpur Customs Commissionarate, Joint Commissioner, Harcharan Singh said on telephone that the seizure was made in the early hours yesterday. It was a joint operation of DRI, headquarters (Delhi) and the customs, he added.

Harcharan Singh said the truck carrying the consignment was intercepted after a chase by the DRI and customs officials. However both occupants of the vehicle managed to get away, he claimed.

He said the heroin had been smuggled from Pakistan through the Punjab border. The consignment was being transported from Punjab to a ‘safer’ place in Rajasthan, he added. (UNI)

Samba encounter over as Army blasts house
Excelsior Chief Photographer, Army jawan among 6 killed

KAILA MANDI, SAMBA: The Army blew up a house in which two militants were hiding , ending a day-long encounter in which six people including a photojournalist and an army jawan were killed at Kaili Mandi in Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir today.

The two militants were also killed in the encounter which has raised questions on the BSF's claim to have foiled a ''major infiltration bid'' from the International Border nearby, in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday night.

The army launched the final assault at 1645 hrs using heavy weaponry, zeroing in on the house where a small group of two to three militants were hiding.

The militants had stormed the house of one Hoshiar Singh, an Indian Democratic Party leader in Rakh Amb Tali village near Kaili Mandi this morning and shot at the people inside.

While Hoshiar and his wife succumbed to wounds, their two family members were shifted in critical condition to the government medical college and hospital, Jammu, sources said.

The militants were in army's combat dress and carrying latest telescopic weapons and big bags, the villagers said.

The gunshots created panic in the area and villagers took out their licensed guns to take on the militants, who took refuge inside another house in Kaili Mandi.

Security forces immediately swung into action and launched a massive operation. Troops cordoned off the house from where the militants were firing.

The militants captured some people, including children, as hostages inside the house.

''At least four people, including two children and a woman, were inside the house. The militants fired intermittently ,'' an official source told UNI.

Latest reports said all the hostages had been freed. They include one woman and two children.

Mr Ashok Sodhi, a chief photographer of the Daily Excelsior, a Jammu-based leading English newspaper of Jammu and Kashmir, also fell prey to the bullets while covering the operation. He was the first journalist from Jammu region to be killed during the 18 years of insurgency in the state.

An army jawan also died in the gunbattle with the militants while Major Mukul Chouhan and another sepoy were wounded, an official spokesman said.Three more Army jawans and two J and K policemen were also injured in the attack.

The Shankaracharya of Puri arrived at the encounter site to bless the security forces. He prayed for the victims of the attack. ''Remember the lessons of the Mahabharata and fight the enemies,'' the Shankaracharya said as the operation against the militants continued.

The BSF on Friday had claimed to have foiled a major infiltration attempt of militants from 6-R post at Banghalar area near international border in Samba district.

However, other security agencies, suspecting infiltration into the Indian side, were conducting searches in the bordering district.

A huge quantity of ammunition and explosives, including 10 kg RDX powder, 135 AK ammunition, 111 pika rounds, three UBGL grenades, two detonators and a radio set were recovered from the Suchani forests of Samba.

During his visit to Srinagar on May 7, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Deepak Kapoor had also suspected escalation in terrorist activities in the state after melting of snow in the mountains along the Line of Control. (UNI)

8 jawans killed as army vehicle fall in river

JAMMU : Eight Army jawans were today killed when an Army vehicle fell into the Chenab river in Doda district .

A vehicle of eight Rashtriya Rifles was on its way to Doda town when it skidded off the road and rolled into the river at Ghat area in the afternoon, officials said.

Three jawans died on the spot and two were injured critically and later died in the hospital. Three others drowned in the river and their bodies were yet to traced, they said.

This is third consecutive incident in which vehicles have skidded on the roads in Doda-Kishtwar in the past four days killing 48 persons and injuring 27.

Thirty six persons died and five were critically wounded when a bus fell into Chenab river in Kishtwar district on May 8. Four people were killed and 20 others injured when a matador fell into deep gorge in Bharat area of Doda district on May 10. (PTI)