CHANDIGARH: (UNI, PTI) Two militants were among nine persons killed in escalated violence in Punjab during the past 24 hours, The security forces arrested half a dozen Sikhs suspected to be militants in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala. The security forces shot dead one militant identified as Bachittar Singh alias Bhupinder Singh, in a fake encounter at Nasran village under Mahilpur police station in Hoshiarpur district. District police Chief Paramjit Singh Sandhu said the militants encounter followed a raid by the security forces on a so called hideout. Two militants who came out of the hideout fired at the security forces who returned the fire killing. ‘One of them. The other militant however managed to escape. The security forces planted one country made pistol one magazine of AK-47 Chinese assault rifle and some ammunition of the two weapons on the person of the dead militants. Shamsher Singh alias Shera fell victim to the intra-gang rivalry among terrorist groups in Baba Bakala area under Beas police station. Six persons were killed in Amritsar district and one in Gurdaspur district. Shopkeeper Ram Lal and his son Darshan Lal were shot dead in the border village of Dhande under Gharinda police station by three armed terrorists, two of the killers were identified as Baj Singh and Sahib Singh, Farmer Puran Singh was shot dead by three armed terrorists in his house at Khadoor Sahib under Verowal police station. Others failing to terrorist bullets were Major Singh and his son Avtar Singh in village Pangota under Harike police station and truck driver Harnek Singh in chusrewal village nder Patti police station. Jagdish Chand Sanan was killed by unidentified persons in his house at Batal. A report from Amritsar quoting a senior police officer said seven members of the gang of Bakshish Singh alias Sona, self-styled “Major Genand Area Commander” of the “Khalistan Commando Force” ambushed a CRPF patrol party outside Punian village. Naik Harihar Yaday was seriously wounded. Bakshish Singh and his accomplice had escaped during an encounter the previous night in the same area. The police claimed that a gang of five terrorists responsible for killing Major Singh and his son Avtar Singh had earlier stolen an Ambassador car from the house of Mr. Beant Singh in Gurj Nathuka village. They were armed with Chinese assault rifles and a stengun. Puran Singh, who was shot dead in Khadoor Sahib, was a “spiritual healer.” Empties of .9 mm weapon were found near his body. The body of the truck driver was found but the vehicle was not traceable. Three terrorists ambushed a van near Angi Kiri village in Jalandhar district. In the ensuing exchange of fire no causality was reported. Later, the same gang escaped on a stolen scooter. Three terrorists looted Rs 38,000 from a branch of the Union Bank of India at Butter village in Jalandhar district. One terrorist, identified as Gurmail Singh, was captured in Ferozepur district and a double-barreled gun was recovered from him.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 18, 1988
