CHANDIGARH — Gunmen shot down eight persons, including three Communist activists, while the security forces arrested five militants in Punjab during the past 24 hours.
Home Guard Head Constable Baldey Singh, who was kidnapped by gunmen yesterday, managed to escape from their custody while the whereabouts of another kidnapped police constable, Bishambar Das, were still not known.
A headless body was recovered from Mahesh Dogra village under Sri Hargobind Pur police station in Gurdaspur district this morning. The body is yet to be identified.
A group of gunmen entered the house of Parshotam Singh at Ghurake village in Amritsar district last night and shot him dead.
In another incident in the district, gunmen shot down Khushi Ram at Johal Rajan Singh village in Tarn Taran police district last night. The gunmen later escaped.
After a brief encounter, the security forces arrested two Sikhs near Gharakebangar village under Fatehgarh Churian police station in Gurdaspur distric last night. They were identified as Balwinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh alias Lakha. Two countries made pistols were allegedly recovered from them.
The Patiala police ar. rested three militants in Jurian Sarkas village last night. They were identified as Narinder Singh, Inderjit Singh and Darya Singh. A 30 pistol and two scooters were recovered from them:
Gunmen waylaid some scooterists in Patiala district and fired at them. However, the scooterists fled leaving behind their vehicles. The gunmen later set the two scooters ablaze.
An alert guard, Tarsem Singh, foiled an attempt by gunmen to rob a bank but was wounded in the process. Two scooter borne gunmen opened fire at him in the Punjab National Bank branch at Mathada village under Phillaur police station in Jalandhar district today.
One of the two gunmen who were shot dead in an encounter with the security forces yesterday at Balian Majpur village under Jandiala police station in Amritsar district has been identified as Piara Singh.
Piara Singh, who belonged to the Babbar Khalsa led by its “Area Commander” Sukhjinder Brar, was framed in over 20 killings in the district.
AMRITSAR (FOC): In fresh attacks on Communist activists, gunmen gunned down three CPI workers and injured two others belonging to the CPM in Thotian village under Sarhali police station late last night.
The police said a group of 10 to 12 armed gunmen fanned out in the village and forcibly dragged out the victims from their houses before shooting them with AK47 Chinese assault rifles,
While Dilbagh Singh, Pargat Singh and Bittu Singh were killed on the spot, Budh Singh and Pooran Singh escaped with serious bullet injuries and were hospitalized. The assailants escaped unchallenged raising pro“Khalistan” slogans.
In another incident in the same area, gunmen shot dead Surinder Singha retired teacher at Mehsampura village. The killers managed to escape on foot.
Joginder Singh was killed by three unidentified terrorists in Lokha village under Sarhali police station early this morning. The victim was allegedly a police informer.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 9, 1988
