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Firing on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus after launch

     Srinagar: India and Pakistan on Thursday opened a historic bus link across divided Kashmir amidst heavy security in the wake of Wednesday afternoon's terrorist attack on the Srinagar Tourist Centre. Flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and several other dignitaries, the yellow and green bus bearing imprints of the flags of India and Pakistan and carrying about 21 passengers, set off from Srinagar enroute to Muzaffarbad 170 km away to loud cheers from the crowd of people that had gathered there to witness the event. Within an hour of its travel, suspected terrorists threw grenades from a distance at the bus as it wound its way towards Baramullah and Uri. The bus will stop at Salamabad for lunch. Army officials said that the grenades fell at some distance away from the bus, and confirmed that no harm had come to the vehicle or the passengers. After reaching the Kamaan checkpost, the passengers will walk across the Kamaan bridge to the other side, and from there they would take the other bus to Muzzafarabad.

     On the other side of the Line of Control, the bus rolled out from Muzzafarabad at around 11.30 a.m. (IST). The bus is moving towards Jacoti, which is about five km from the LoC, and from there to the Command Bridge. The passengers from Pakistan are supposed to cross over to India first. It was the first time in nearly 60 years that a bus was travelling between the two points in Kashmir. The bus service was falgged off at 11 a.m. in front of a teeming crowd that had congregated inside and outside the heavily barricaded Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium. The whole area was marked by colourful flags and bunting, reflecting the significance of the event and the moment. While Prime Minister Singh said: "The caravan of peace has started. Nothing can stop it," Congress party president Sonia Gandhi described the moment as a significant and historic one that people in both India and Pakistan should cherish and take heart from. She also said that both countries needed to work together now more than ever to forge a long-lasting peace and an atmosphere of stability and brotherhood that had been missing for the past five to six decades.

     Dr Singh and Sonia Gandhi were accompanied by several Union ministers and senior officials. They were received earlier this morning at the airport by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt. General. (Retiredd) S K Sinha and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The Prime Minister and the Congress president were expected to leave here for New Delhi in the afternoon after launching the ''Karvaan-e-Aman'' (Caravan for Peace) bus. A second bus is due to depart from Muzaffarabad on the Pakistani side. Taking no chances ahead of the landmark event, especially in the aftermath of the abortive Fidayeen (suicide bomber) attack on the Muzaffarabad bound bus passengers at Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) here yesterday, security forces across the Kashmir Valley were placed on maximum alert to thwart any further such attacks. security forces on the Uri-Kamaan post, the last military post on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC), were said to be particularly attentive to the possibility of a terrorist attack. Security arrangments for the smooth run of the bus were reviewed at a high-level meeting late on Wednesday evening. Rejecting the allegation that the Fidayeen attack on the TRC was a security lapse, official sources said nothing can stop a militant who want to die. Sources said the field commanders on the bus route have been directed to ensure the safety and security of the bus and passengers.

      Meanwhile, the security forces and police have detained about 900 suspects, mostly former militants and surrendered ultras, across the Valley, particularly in Srinagar and north Kashmir. The arrests follow interception of message from across the border directing militants operating in the valley to launch attacks on the bus passengers. The recovery of two powerful improvised explosive devices (IED), weighing 130 kgs each on the route at Palhalan on April 5 was a major success, source said, adding one IED went off at Pattan causing injuries to seven labourers who were working on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. Security forces wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons were seen guarding the deserted streets. Authorities have imposed restriction on traffic movement and no vehicle was being allowed to enter the civil lines from outskirts. Tight security arrangements have been put in place in and around the TRC where a group of two fidayeen made an abortive attempt on the lives of Muzaffarabad bus passengers yesterday. However, the passengers escaped unhurt in the attack. Sharp-shooters had taken positions at the Sher-i-Kashmir cricket stadium, the venue of the main function, and along the route to be taken by the Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Barbed wire fences have been erected at all lanes, by-lanes and the main roads, including Boulevard on the banks of world famous Dal Lake and nearby Dalgate area. The Border Security Force along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police sealed the entire Dalgate area and are conducting almost daily house-to-house searches. Security forces are maintaining round the clock vigil along the 171-km Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road as it crosses a number of areas once dominated by militants.

Kashmir bus sets off from Muzaffarabad  (Go To Top)

     Muzaffarabad: A green and yellow bus carrying the message of peace set off from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir on Thursday with passengers bound for the Indian side of the territory for first time in nearly 60 years. The bus, launching a historic service linking the Himalayan region divided since 1947, bound for Indian Kashmir's main city Srinagar, was flagged off by the Prime Minister of Pakistani- administered Kashmir, Sardar Sikander Hayat. Less than a day before the buses left, two heavily armed militants stormed and set on fire the tourist compound where the passengers were sheltering in Srinagar. The militants were killed and six people were injured. All passengers were unharmed. Hayat, addressing the gathering, said the bus is a victory for the people of Kashmir indicating that no man-made line can make them stay away.

     In Muzaffarabad, passengers said they were determined to travel despite the threats. Islamic militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir have threatened to kill passengers and turn the bus into a coffin. The 170 km bus link represents a small concession for families separated by conflict since 1947 but also carries hopes of a big boost to a cautious peace process, a week before Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf travels to New Delhi for talks. Simultaneously Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also sent off the bus service from Srinagar. Islamic rebels say the bus would only serve Indian aims to hold on to Kashmir and its passengers were insulting the 15-year insurgency by making the journey. The rebel groups claimed responsibility for Wednesday's suicide attack, which left the yellow tourist complex building in the heart of Srinagar's high-security zone a charred ruin, seen as a major embarrassment for New Delhi. The entire 120-km mountain road from Srinagar to the frontier was lined with soldiers even before the suicide attack, but rebels managed to set off a bomb by the road on Tuesday, wounding seven highway workers. The bus service is popular among Kashmiris, for many of whom their last hope is to see lost relatives before they die. The South Asian neighbours have fought two wars over mainly Muslim Kashmir and were on the verge of a third in 2002 before pulling back from the brink.

Two militants, one civilian killed in Rajouri encounter (Go To Top)

     Rajouri: Two militants were killed in a joint operation conducted by the police and the security forces at Thanamandi in Rajouri district today. A civilian was also lost his life during the encounter. The encounter took place near Rangai village, where militant are said to be quite active. After observing some suspicious movement in the area, the police and the security forces launched a joint operation. They challenged the militants who in return, opened indiscriminate firing. The civilian was killed in the crossfire. Later, the security personnel gunned down two militants, who were identified as Habibul Rehman and Mohammad Riyaz. "The two militants who were killed today were arrested earlier also. But after they were released they started their militant activities again. They were involved in many cases. Riyaz, the second militant, was also very active in the region. He used to stop young people from joining the mainstream and forced them into militancy. But now as they are no more, the youngsters are free to join the mainstream.", said S.M.Sahai, DIG, Rajouri- Poonch range. The spurt in violence comes ahead of resumption of the bus service linking the Indian and Pakistani zones of Kashmir, a step regarded as a key confidence-building measure between the two countries.

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