JAMMU, June 27:
Security forces today busted a militant hideout and recovered cache of arms and ammunition in mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources here said.    “Based on a tip-off, a team of special operation group, police and army, launched a search operation in Lakhan Dhar area of Gandoh area and busted a hideout,” sources said.    They said during search, two RPG launcher, eight UBGL Shells, four detonators, 181 SLR rounds, 80 rounds of AK 47 and AK 56, 56 Pika rounds and one IED remote were recovered.     “The consignment was recovered from a hideout kept in a container and wrapped up with polythene,” he said, adding that it appeared that this consignment was stored by the then active militants operating in the area who have now either been killed or migrated to other parts of the state.  (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR, June 27:
Three persons were killed today and seven others injured when their cab fell into a deep gorge in Uri town of Baramulla district on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.
The passenger cab fell into the gorge near Thaajal village in Uri, 100 kms from here, leading to the death of Imtiaz Ahmad Kakroo, Mohammad Hanief Awan and Noor Hussain, a spokesman of the Traffic Department said.
The seven others, who were injured in the accident, have been admitted to hospitals at Uri and Baramulla district headquarters. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI : Delhi University today wrote to the UGC, saying it was working on a response in accordance with the “spirit of your directives” to ensure the admission process starts very soon.

“I am directed to state that the University is in the process of drafting a response in accordance with the spirit of your directives to ensure that the admission process start very soon. We will sent it to you at the earliest,” DU told the UGC.

It was responding to repeated directives from the UGC for reverting to the three-year undergraduate programme, shunning the four-year programme at the earliest.

UGC yesterday sent another letter to DU asking it to roll back the FYUP and immediately begin undergraduate admissions even as it sought legal opinion on the compromise formula proposed by the varsity.

DU had earlier offerred a compromise formula. The university is of the opinion that given the situation where admissions are being delayed, a blended proposal submitted by some eminent persons to UGC and DU may provide the way forward, its Registrar Alka Sharma had said. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU : The first batch comprising 1,160 Amarnath yatris was today flagged off by the state tourism minister from Jammu base camp to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

“The pilgrims comprising 957 men, 187 women and 16 children was flagged off by the Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir from Bhagwati Nagar base camp here this morning,” police officials said.

A total of 42 vehicles, including 23 buses and 19 Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) left the yatri niwas at around 5:30 AM today amid tight security, they said, adding that various civil and police officials were present at the occasion.

The cavalcade of pilgrims has already crossed Kud in Udhampur district, they said.

Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made for a safe and secure yatra with sufficient security personnel being deployed on the way to foil any subversive design, officials said.

Besides the checking of vehicles coming into the state at Lakhanpur in Kathua district, a high level watch is being maintained with police forces checking vehicles at different spots across the city, they said.

Reports from Srinagar said that most pilgrims would undertake yatra to the cave shrine through Baltal route as snow clearance operation along Pahalgam to the shrine is underway.

The Amarnath Shrine Board has asked the pilgrims to undertake the journey via Baltal route till snow is cleared at various spots from Pahalgam to Amarnath route.

The shrine board, headed by Governor N N Vohra would again review the opening of Pahalgam cave route on June 30, reports said. (AGENCIES)

HYDERABAD : At least 14 people were killed and seven others injured in a fire following a blast in a gas pipeline belonging to GAIL in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district today, a senior state minister said.

“As per initial reports we have received, 14 deaths have been reported and some more are critically injured and undergoing treatment,” Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told reporters here.

According to an official of the East Godavari district, the administration has recovered 13 bodies from the accident site while another death was reported from the hospital where the injured are being treated.

East Godavari District Collector Neetu Kumari Prasad told that the incident took place in the early hours.

“As of now the fire has been brought under control. Fire engines were rushed to the spot and rescue operations are underway,” Prasad said.

The accident occurred at Nagaram village in Amalapuram Mandal, she said, adding that three persons are critically injured.

All the injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital, the collector said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the loss of lives in the incident.

Naidu, who is now on a visit to Delhi, reviewed the situation with the collector and senior officials.

He asked state Deputy Chief Minister N Chinarajappa and the collector to rush to the spot to monitor the relief operation.

Naidu later tweeted, “(I’ve) ordered an inquiry and action plan to avoid these in future.”

“My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in East Godavari blast,” he said in another tweet.

“Asked Deputy Chief Minister Chinarajappa to go the pipeline blast site and provide required support. We need a preventive plan to ensure safety,” he added. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU : Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire and targeted Indian posts with automatic and small weapons along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate effectively.

Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing at Indian posts along the LoC in Bhimbher Gali-Gambhir forward areas of Poonch around 0035 hours, a senior Army officer said here.

Indian troops guarding the border retaliated effectively with equal calibre weapons resulting in intermittent exchange of fire, he said, adding that the “exchange continued in forward area till 0130 hours”.

There was no death or injury to anyone on this side of the LoC due to the firing, he said.

Earlier, the Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire along the International Border in Samba district on June 17 and 18 when Pakistani Rangers resorted to firing on 6-HR BoP in Suchetgarh-Kullian forward belt.

On June 13, Pakistan troops had resorted to heavy firing of mortar shells and automatic weapons on Indian posts along the LoC in Mendhar-Bhimber Gali-Keri forward areas in Poonch district.

There were 19 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC in April-May.

In 2013, 12 jawans were killed and 41 others injured in ceasefire violations and firing by Pakistani troops on forward posts, civilian areas and patrolling parties along Indo-Pak border. The ceasefire violations last year were a record 149. (AGENCIES)