SRINAGAR: Pir Mohammed Shafi, a former member of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, and 17 militants were among the 20 people killed since Sunday night in unabated violence.
Twenty militants, nine in Srinagar, seven in Baramulla and four in the curfew bound five km border belt were arrested, an official spokesman said.
The spokesman said Pir Mohammed Shafi, who won the 1987 assembly elections from Zadibal constituency in downtown Srinagar on the National Conference ticket, was shot dead in his Lal Bazar home by four unidentified men.
Shafi, an activist of the Awami action committee, is the fifth legislator to be killed by militants. Mir Mustafa, Sheikh Abdul Jabbar, Sheikh Mohammad Mansoor and Nazir Ahmed Wani Alias Nelora were the other victims.
Seventeen militants were killed and four arrested when they tried to sneak into the Indian side of the curfew bound five km border belt in the northern sector Monday, the spokesman said. A large cache of arms was recovered from them, he added.
A security man and a five year old boy, Tauseef Ahmed Mir, were killed and four other security personnel injured when militants ambushed security forces’ vehicles at Bunapora bypass in Batmaloo Sunday night.
A security personnel drowned when a motorboat sank in the famous Dal Lake this morning, police said.
Seven subversives were picked up during search operations in a locality of Srinagar city Monday, while two militants belonging to the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen were arrested in a separate raid.
Three people were killed and two sustained bullet injuries in different incidents in the northern most part of Kashmir valley while security forces recovered arms and ammunitions during searches.
An official spokesman said a man was killed in Budgam district when security forces returned fire after being ambushed.
According to official sources ‘one unidentified man was killed in an intergang rivalry in Parimpora village Friday. One person was shot in Khan mohalla Friday night.
The spokesman said an injured man was nabbed by security forces in Poonch area of Jammu region.
Bomb explosions damaged two ‘schools in different parts of Kashmir valley during the period.
The spokesman said there was no day curfew in any district of the valley Saturday except some areas where curfew was relaxed from 0900 hours to 1600 hours. JAMMU: In continued skirmishes between the militants and the security forces in Kashmir valley, 16 militants and 7 men of the paramilitary forces have been killed and 10 persons, including 5 security men, have been injured on Oct 12.
Two militants and 2 security men were reportedly killed in a major encounter near Ram Bagh in Srinagar this morning. Reports said that militants fired on a patrol party of the security forces who returned the fire, killing 2 militants. Five others received minor injuries. Soon after the incident, 6 houses were seen in flames and the area was cordoned off and door to door searches were carried out.
Ten militants were killed when a party of 40 infiltrators were intercepted near Kalaroos village in Kupwara district, according to an official spokesman. The govt claimed that | security official was killed in the encounter but unofficial reports said that 5 men of the paramilitary forces were killed. However, later reports said that, 5 more militants were killed and 10 others arrested after the security forces launched a search for those who had escaped after in the encounter. Large quantities of arms and ammunition, including 15 AK47 rifles, a number of universal machine guns, rocket projective guns, rockets and rocket boosters, besides 6 antitank mines and 30 grenades were recovered from them, police claimed.
Regarding the clash in Ram Bagh, the official spokesman said that 5 jawans of the security forces were injured, and 2 militants killed.
The apple town of Sopore was Oct 11 placed under curfew again following clashes between the security forces and the militants. Three areas witnessed major fires in which a portion of the Iqbal Market, a private guest house and a wing of the general bus stand were gutted. Two unidentified bodies were recovered in Kupwara and one in Sopore,
Because of the growing scare among people in Srinagar, residents in the historic Maisuma locality, adjacent to the Lal Chowk area, have started vacating ancestral homes to avoid getting caught in the clashes between the militants and the security forces. The spate of fires in residential areas where these encounters take place has added to their woes. Several other localities have already been half vacated.
Though some areas in the city witnessed demonstrations against the “planned destruction” in the city, people remain indoors.
SRINAGAR: Twelve people were killed in separate incidents in Kashmir valley since Monday, while reports of fresh clash between militants and security men was received from curfew bound Kathi darwaza locality of downtown city Tuesday.
An official spokesman said 4 security men were killed and a medical officer was injured when militants ambushed security force vehicles near the Vilgam Panzgam road in the border region of Kupwara.
Three militants and 5 others were killed in curfew bound Rainawari locality of the downtown city last night, when militants clashed with security men.
Militants fired indiscriminately in Rainawari area resulting in the death of 3 civilians, the spokesman said. Three militants were killed when security forces returned the fire. However, police sources said that 2 more persons succumbed to their injuries later.
Demand to arrest Tikait
NEW DELHI: The opposition Congress I demanded the arrest of farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait for his “inflammatory” statements at the anti-reservation rally here on Oct 2.
Cutting across party lines, members from both sides condemned the incident and the deputy chairperson, Najma Heptullah, it was unfortunate that violence was unleashed on the birth anniversary of the “father of the nation, Gandhi, whom she described as an apostle of peace.
The Congress I, led by N K P Salve, asked the govt to prosecute Tikait for his statement that MPs and the members of the legislature be burnt as it was violative of the law.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 19, 1990
