The Hindu : Heavy firing along IB, LoC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 18, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

Heavy firing along IB, LoC

By Our Correspondent

JAMMU MAY 17. Troops along the Indo-Pakistan border outposts have been exchanging intermittent heavy fire, including mortar shelling, in the last 24 hours. The firing took place in the frontier positions along the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu region. Two civilians were killed in the crossfire and eight persons, including three jawans, were critically injured.

The villagers in the forward positions close to the IB said that on Thursday, troops from across the border resorted to heavy firing. The firing stopped at midnight only to resume in the wee hours of the morning today. Defence sources said the Pakistani troops used heavy weaponry such as 81mm and 82mm and targeted civilians too. They shelled the forward areas of Poonch, Kathua and Jammu districts, which resulted in fresh migration.

Reports said that at least 850 families had migrated from various forward positions of Jammu region, primarily along the IB since yesterday. Maximum number of migrants came from the Hiranagar sub-sector of Kathua district and the Samba sector of Jammu region.

Bid to blast secretariat

Shujaat Bukhari reports from Srinagar:

At least one person was killed and 15 others were injured when a militant made an abortive bid to attack the Jammu and Kashmir civil secretariat, housing the offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers and top officials.

The Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, R. R. Swain, said that the militant carrying an improvised explosive device in a bag was moving towards the secretariat from Batmaloo side. He became nervous on seeing the heavy posse of security forces. He threw the bag on the roadside at the Fire Service crossing. There was an instant explosion in front of the Fire Service headquarters, adjacent to the police headquarters, injuring 16 persons. One of the injured died in the hospital. And many of them are battling for their lives. "This is the preliminary investigation and we are looking at other aspects as well. It was probably an attempt to blast the secretariat,'' Mr. Swain said. An unconfirmed report said that another wounded civilian died in Soura Institute

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

We will take `appropriate decision', says Advani

Powell phones Jaswant

We stand by the Govt.: Sonia

Will Armitage advance his trip?

Heavy firing along IB, LoC

Pearl's body exhumed?

Mayawati wins trust vote