CHANDIGARH: Fourteen persons, including five militants and two policemen were killed and eleven others injured even as militants escaped police dragnet in disturbed Punjab state since Sunday.
In Tarn Taran district security forces nabbed one militant along with his arms. In the same district gunmen kidnaped a teen aged boy and snatched a double barrel gun with cartridges from his father.
In another incident in a statue of independence leader Mahatma Gandhi located in Patiala was slightly damaged in a bomb explosion early Monday.
A report from Amritsar said a lieutenant general of the outlawed. Khalistan Commando Force and his accomplices escaped after injuries suffered in an encounter with security forces Monday.
The LT Gen who carries a reward of Rs 40,000 on his head and four others were challenged by a patrol party in Majitha district a police constable was also injured in the exchange of fire.
Search in the area led to a cache of arms and ammunition and information that two men and one of his accomplices were seriously injured in the encounter but the other three carried them away to safety.
In Bhatinda district two men sprayed bullets on some mill workers killing one and injuring seven others. The injured have admitted to hospital.
A police patrol party was ambushed in a village of Ferozepur district and shot dead a Punjab police constable and a government railway police constable.
Four other security men were missing, the police said.
Two militants were killed in an ‘encounter with security forces at a draw bridge in Faridkot district early Monday. Two of their accomplices managed to escape leaving one AK47 rifle, one revolver, some cartridges and a bag of explosives with the police.
In another incident two militants were shot dead by some assailants in their houses in village ‘of Amritsar district. The police described it as a case of intergang rivalry.
One militant was killed in an encounter with security forces near also in Amritsar district early Monday.
Two others were killed elsewhere in the state,
Twenty five people, including eight militants and eight Pakistani intruders, were killed while an area commander named Buta Singh and his two Pak trained accomplices belonging to the newly formed Khalistan National Army were among those arrested in Punjab and Haryana since Saturday night.
A report from Fazika said that two intruders from across the border were killed while they were
Attempting to cross over. Six Pakistani intruders were shot dead in an encounter with the border security force (BSF) in the Ferozepore sector when they tried to sneak into Indian Territory.
Gill said the self-styled area commander of the KNA, Buta Singh confessed during preliminary interrogation that his organisation was being supported financially and with arms and ammunition from Canada.
The police chief said that Buta Singh and his two brothers Kashmir Singh and Balwant Singh were arrested following an encounter near village Bhullar under the border Lopoke police station last night. Another member of this gang, Pritam Singh, was arrested later during a raid in village Kakkar Tarin.
A report from Amritsar quoting the Mathia district police chief, Mr PS. Gill, said that the “Khalistan national army” gang had recently crossed over from Pakistan after getting fresh consignment of arms and ammunition and also instructions to eliminate some VIP’s and targets.
He said the new outfit was formed by a Canadian National, Balkar Sing in, who was arrested white in India but was later released on the intervention of a Canadian delegation last year.
Mr Gill said that the self-styled area commander of the KNA Buta Singh confessed during preliminary interrogation that his organisation was being supported financially and with arms and ammunition from Canada.
The police chief said that Buta Singh and his two brothers Kashmir Singh and Balwant Singh were arrested following an encounter near village Bhullar under the border Lopoke police station last night. Another member of this gang, Pritam Singh, was arrested later firing a raid in village Kakkar Tarin.
Five persons including two militants, were killed while an abortive attempt was made to blow up a railway police post.
Gunmen looted a post office of Rs 7,600 even as five men were arrested along with arms and ammunition.
Two militants were killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Ferozepur district when their gang ambushed a patrol party. Security forces chased the ultra’s, killing two of them.
One Balbir Singh was shot dead in Ropar district.
Joginder Singh was shot dead in Jalandhar district and one woman in Gurdaspur district. Another woman Parkash Kaur was injured in the firing. Two Jawans of the railway protection force were injured when they successfully repulsed a major rocket attack on their post at Jando Ki Sarhali railway station on the Amritsar Khemkaran section.
Three men Inderjit Singh, Gurmej Singh and Baldev Singh Alias Devi, were arrested during patrolling operations in Patiala district.
Two AK47 rifle, three magazines, 52 cartridges of AK47, and bomb material were recovered.
Amritsar police arrested one Surjeet Singh and recovered some weapons from his possession.
One more person, Gurcharan Singh, was also arrested for providing shelter to militants.
Meanwhile, reports received from Amritsar said most shops and commercial establishment’s downed shutters in panic Tuez4ay afternoon after some shopkeepers got threatening telephone calls from militants.
Life in the city had returned to normal only this morning when the 72hour bandh, called by the Akali Dal (Mann), came to end.
Certain militant organisations including the panthic committee led by Wassan Singh Jaffarwal had given a separate “Bandh” call for two days Tuesday and Wednesday against alleged “police repression”.
NEW DELHI: The United States forces have evacuated 330 out of 430 persons of Indian origin trapped in civil war torn Geria, an external affairs ministry spokesman $44 here Friday.
All the evacuated persons were moved to a U S naval vessel.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 24, 1990
