CURRENT TOPICS

A key witness of the November 26, 2008 terror attack on Mumbai, in which more than 160 people lost their lives and more than 300 were injured, is being reported as missing.

According to a television channel report, Nuruddin Mehboob Shaikh was called for questioning by Mumbai police, but when he did not turn up, he was declared missing. He has been reported missing since 6.30 a.m. this morning and was to be cross-examined in court.

Shaikh has emerged as a key witness in the wake of him saying that he had seen the maps of Mumbai prepared by terror suspect Fahim Ansari.

Shaikh, a Mumbai driver, claimed to know Ansari and has admitted that he was in his room in Nepal, and witnessed to many an incriminating episode there. He deposed before the special sessions court on Thursday.

 A suspected terrorist today opened fire at the railway station here killing a vendor and injuring two GRP head constables when they tried to check his luggage, police said.

The firing took place when the two Government Railway Police constables of the Narcotics cell tried to check the bag of the suspected terrorist in Jammu-bound Jhelum Express which arrived here from Pune around 3.30 am at platform No 4 of the railway station, they said.

The suspected terrorist identified as Balbir Singh Bhootna immediately got down and hid himself under a compartment of the Jhelum Express and opened fir at the police which retaliated on the platform near the compartment.

A woman, who was accompanying the suspected terrorist, has also been taken into custody, Singh said.

The man killed, a vendor, tried to overpower the armed man and was killed. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter. The vendor’s body has been taken to a mortuary, while the injured policemen were taken to CMC Hospital.

There was commotion and chaos all around as the armed man took shelter behind a train at the platform. The trouble began when the police tried to question him. The man took out his revolver and started firing.

Sources said the man, Balbir Singh was around 40 years old and a proclaimed offender wanted in several cases. Police were also trying to ascertain whether he had a history from the days of militancy in Punjab.

At the station, the Jhelum Express was stalled for a while, but the incident did not impact the movement of other trains. The Jhelum Express too has left the station since

A suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist carrying a Jammu and Kashmir identity card and a Pakistani passport was arrested here today, days after Hizbul Mujahideen members were nabbed in the walled city area.

Yusuf alias Salim (27) was caught by Delhi Police’s Special Cell from New Delhi Railway Station at around 12:40 pm following a tip-off, Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P N Aggarwal told reporters here.

Sources said Yusuf, who came to Delhi from Jammu, hails from Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir and was believed to be headed towards Mumbai.

They said investigators are trying to ascertain whether he was going to Mumbai. However, there was no official confirmation about this.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) PN Aggarwal said, “We arrested an LeT operative from the Ajmeri Gate area Tuesday noon. We have recovered explosives and detonators from his possession.”

The Delhi Police claimed to have recovered 5 kg of explosives, four detonators and two timers from the militant.

Along with explosives, a Pakistani passport in the name of Yousuf, an identity card issued in Jammu in the name of ‘Salim’, a handbag, a briefcase and one ticket of the Maharashtra bound train was also recovered from him.

It is believed that the arrested terrorist had plans to target important installations in the state of Maharashtra or in Mumbai.

The LeT militant has been taken to Delhi Police’ Special Cell for further questioning and to ascertain his motive and plans in the capital.

The IB had recently warned that more LeT modules were planning to enter New Delhi to target important places in the days to come.

At least seven people were killed and about 90 wounded in a suicide car bomb blast outside the NATO headquarters here on Saturday.

Initial reports said three people, all Afghan civilians, had been killed and 70 people injured

The presidential palace and several embassies are also located in the area.

The blast comes just five days before presidential elections and against a backdrop of increased violence by the Taliban.

The blast shook buildings in the Wazir Akhbar Khan diplomatic district of the capital, home to the US and British embassies and the headquarters of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, saying people would not be deterred from voting.

“The enemies of Afghanistan try to create fear among people in this election period but people still realise the importance of going to ballot boxes to cast their votes,” Karzai was quoted by B.B.C. as saying.

The Afghan defence ministry issued a statement later saying that it believed seven people had been killed.

The blast hit the heavily fortified area of the city at about 0830 local time on Saturday.

“It was a suicide bombing carried out in a car right in front of Isaf [the Nato-led peacekeeping force],” Afghan defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said, speaking from the scene.

Several Isaf soldiers were reportedly among the injured.

Over 100,000 foreign troops are based in the country.

“We did hear the loud boom. I don’t have any information now for you on it,” said Lieutenant Tommy Groves, a media officer for US and Nato-led forces.

Sirens rang out across the city soon after the blast at about 8.30 a.m. No details about casualties or damage were immediately available.