Yet another infiltration bid foiled, two militants killed

Srinagar, Apr 4: Yet another infiltration bid was foiled by alert troops when they gunned down two heavily armed militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector early this morning.A Defence Ministry spokesman told UNI that troops guarding the border near the LoC noticed a group of militants sneaking into this side from Pakistan- Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the cover of darkness.When challenged and asked to surrender on this side of the LoC, militants opened fire. Troops also retaliated and in the fierce clash two militants were killed.Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.This was the second infiltration bid during the past ten days in this sector.Troops on March 27 killed five heavily armed militants when they crossed over to this side. Earlier, troops killed three militants near the LoC.Despite ten to twelve feet of snow on the borders, militants are making desperate attempt to sneak into this side from they PoK.Similar infiltration attempts were made in Jammu region also where 20 militants were killed after their infiltration into this side recently. Six soldiers also lost their lives during these encounters.According to senior Army officers, about 2000 to 2500 trained militants are waiting across the border to cross over to this side.However, troops are alert to foil any such infiltration attempt.(UNI)

Fresh snowfall on upper reaches, Harwan, rain in plains

Srinagar, Apr 4 :Harwan hills in the city outskirts and upper reaches in the Kashmir valley, including Gulmarg heights, experienced fresh snowfall while plains, including summer capital, Srinagar, had rains, resulting in cold.The Harwan hills had turned white, visible from a distance, as the people woke up this morning.Tree tops were also covered with snow presenting a magnificent look from nearby areas this morning.The Apharwat, Khilanmarg and other heights experienced fresh snowfall last night, a hotel owner told UNI over phone from world famous ski resort of Gulmarg today.He said the entire belt received few inches of fresh snowfall while Gulmarg slopes, still under several feet of snow, had rains.The sky was heavily cloudy, he said.The other upper reaches, including Sadhna top, Razdan pass, connecting villages near the Line of Control (LoC) with the rest of the state, also received fresh snowfall last night.Fresh snowfall was also recorded at Keran, Karnah, Machil and Neeru resulting in cold in the entire belt.Sonmarg, the famed tourist resort on Srinagar-Leh national highway, also received fresh snowfall. Sonmarg road was recently opened for traffic after remaining closed since December last year.However, the road remained open, a tourist official said adding hundreds of tourists were visiting the place daily.The upper reaches in Pahalgam, the base camp of holy Amarnath cave, also experienced snowfall last evening and this morning.Moderate to heavy snowfall was received at holy Cave and its periphery. Reports of snowfall were also received from Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Panjterni while rains lash Pahalgam, where the minimum temperature recorded was 4.4 degrees Celsius this morning.Srinagar and its adjoining areas recorded 14.4 mm rainfall till 0830 hrs today. However, the minimum temperature 7.9 degrees was still twodegreesabovenormal.But icy cold winds, originating from upper reaches because of fresh snowfall, forced people to wear warm cloths.However; there was some relief as sun came out behind the clouds as the day progressed.People in Ladakh region continued to feel the cold as the minimum was recorded one degree at Leh while it was three degrees in Kargil.The situation was no good in upper reaches where it was between minus 1 degree to minus 5 degree this morning. (UNI)

Cabinet to decide on AFSPA’s future, says Chidambaram

Itanagar, Apr3: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the Central Cabinet would decide the future of the Armed Forces (Special) Power Act (AFSPA).Chidambaram, during an interaction with media said that the Union Home Ministry had already submitted its report on the matter to the Cabinet.’ Justice Jeevan Reddy has prepared a report in this regard with recommendations for replacing the existing law by a more humane law which was studied by the second administrative reform commission and forwarded to my ministry. I had submitted the report to the Cabinet with a note and the decision will be taken by the cabinet,” Chidambaram said.The AFSPA is in force in some parts of northeastern states and in Jammu and Kashmir.According to AFSPA, the Centre or a State Government can notify an area as disturbed, and invoke the Act, giving security forces — the army, a central paramilitary force or even the police — wide-ranging powers.Chidambaram declined to reveal details about deployment of additional forces in insurgency-hit Tirap and Changlang Districts of Arunachal Pradesh.Commenting on continuation of subversive activities by both factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in Tirap and Changlang despite ceasefire agreement, Chidambaram said security forces would act if such activities would continue.’ Though ceasefire agreement applies only to those areas where NSCN operate, it does not mean that they can carry out militant activities,' he said. Commenting over Chinas objection to Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan for implementing watershed project in Arunachal, Chidambaram said Centre would to decide whether to avail loan from ADB or World Bank (WB).''''The fund from the ADB or the WB would be in form of loan which will have to be repaid by India. We will see whether we need to take loan or not but it will be our concern that no projects suffer due to want of fund, ‘Chidambaram said. (ANI)

No talks with Taliban: India

New Delhi, 3: Government sources have cleraed the air and scotched reports of any kind of dialogue with Taliban and have said that India will only be dealing with the legitimate Government led by President Hamid  Karzai.India believes that Taliban is the "antagonist and not the protagonist" and is also aware about its collusion with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is enlarging its role in Afghanistan and is specifically targeting Indians and Indian interests in the war torn country.India, which is strongly opposed to the good Taliban bad Taliban theory from the outset, believes that Taliban and Lashkar are morphed together and share a common objective to harm Indian interest in Afghanistan , highly placed  sources agree that Lashkar has increased its presence in Afghanistan and it is sharing information , intelligence and even resources with Taliban and India is in touch with Afghan authorities to counter the threat.Sources have told ANI that the situation in Afghanistan needs a lot of tackling, but India is not going to lower its guard and there will be no full stop to its developmental activities, India''s role as a partner has not diluted, our medical mission scaled down but there is no full stop.Government sources also Indicated that India is strongly banking on President Hamid Karzai, who is currently engaged in the process of reconciliation and reintegration of renegade warlords or the militants and will soon be holding Loya Jirga.India is convinced that Hamid Karzai is well aware of the complexities of the situation and is aware about India''s apprehensions of talking or reconciling with the groups like Haqqanis and Hikmatyar, which are backed by Pakistan''s covert agency.Commenting on increased role of Pakistan in the Afghan endgame with strong US backing informed sources said " US has categorically said that they don''t want process of stability to be outsourced to Pakistan. (ANI)

Three militant hideouts busted in Jammu and Kashmir

Poonch, Apr 3:Three militant hideouts were busted in Jammu and Kashmir''s Poonch and Ramban Districts from where a huge cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered.The two hideouts were unearthed in the Sangla forest and the Chamb Dhok areas of Surankote Tehsil in Poonch. Another was busted in the Tata area of Ramban''s Banihal subdivision."We have busted three hideouts in last two-three days. We were taking efforts and launching search operation from last week in search of these hideouts. We have recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition. The recovery is so huge that a major attack could have been ossible with this,"said,Vivek Jhalla,Commanding Officerof 25 Romeo Force, Surankot.The recoveries include six kg IEDs, two IED circuits, a Chinese pistol along with 16 rounds, a pistol magazine, four AK rifle magazines and 220 rounds, four Chinese grenades, three rockets and a binocular. (ANI)