Hizb 'commander' gunned down

By Our Correspondent

JAMMU, OCT. 10. Security forces gunned down a self-styled district commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen near Banihal today. He was identified as S.K. Ghauhri and was responsible for the recent attack on 161 BSF regiment near Sanglathan.

Talking to The Hindu Lt. Colonel Oberoi in-charge of Army media cell in Jammu region said the security forces, based on a tip- off, launched a joint operation on Monday. The encounter lasted for many hours before security forces could overpower the militants. While Ghauhri was shot dead another militant, Altaf Hussain, was apprehended. Arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

The Defence spokesman also claimed to have eliminated an ``area commander'' of Surankote tehsil owing allegiance to the Jaish-e- Mohammad. The militant was identified as Abu Ubeda, a resident of Pakistan.

DD package raises eyebrows

Meanwhile, the Union Minister for Information, Ms. Sushma Swaraj's announcement on Tuesday to grant Rs. 4300 millions for local units of the Doordarshan and the All India Radio in Jammu and Kashmir to counter cross-border propaganda has raised a number of questions here.

Analysts say the most strategic place for meeting the hostile propaganda is Jammu because the International border and the line of actual of control are less than 40 km away. And the people on both sides of the border speak almost the same language. This fact had never been realised.

Talking to The Hindu the Station Director, Jammu Radio, Mr. Ashok Jairath, says that we have to look after three channels on the border.

Though the transmitter installed here has the capacity to cover Asia Minor their reception in far-flung areas is not clear on account of poor and irregular power supply.

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