European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a ,. Monday june 17, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9toll reaches 126 in sikh raids Ludhiana India a the Savage attacks on two trains by sikh militants were the deadliest strikes in their 9-year-old insurgency and followed their vows to Stop elections in Punjab state. Police said sunday that 126 people were slain. The killings saturday night came after the army fanned out across the state with sweeping Powers to search and arrest in a Campaign to Stop sikh violence that has left More than 2,000 dead in the Northern state this year. Militants have killed at least 21 candidates for punjabis state and National elections this saturday. The rest of India completed balloting last saturday but Punjab elections were delayed until Security forces from around the nation could be brought Here to supervise voting. Saturdays train attacks near Ludhiana were the bloodiest by the militants since they began fighting for Independence in violence aimed at stopping Punjab vote the Rich farming state. The Deputy commissioner of this mainly hindu Industrial town Surjit Singh Channi said Rescue officials had counted Only 80 bodies but the area police chief said at least 126 people were killed. Local reporters also said the Slaughter was much higher than 80.the attacks occurred within 10 minutes of each other on different Railroad lines leading into this predominantly hindu Industrial town police superintendent Anil Sharma said. Militants climbed aboard the engines of the slow moving trains and ordered the engineers to Stop he said. About a dozen militants then entered the cars and killed the passengers in a Blaze of automatic gunfire. The first attack occurred when the train was seven Miles Southwest of Ludhiana. The second train was raided when it was just nine Miles South of the City. A the militants positioned themselves on the two doors of the coaches and fired indiscriminately a Sharma said. Before shooting the militants separated the men from the women and children and gunned Down the huddled men survivors said. A at least 78 passengers were killed on the first train and 48 people on the second train Sharma said. Forty eight people were wounded 20 of them critically. Victims also included some women and children he said. A my grandson tried to run toward the door. He was killed by the militants. They also killed my two sons a said Kumari Darshna a 70-year-old hindu woman a reporter for press Trust of India news Agency said he saw bodies of four people lying in a blood soaked coach with Chap Patis or Indian bread clutched in their hands. A their end came while they were having dinner. Compartments were littered with torn clothes shoes sandals and food Quot the reporter said. Lie said Many bodies were found in the Fields along the tracks indicating passengers were shot while fleeing. Quot he said the militants escaped through the Fields under cover of darkness. Sikh militant groups have repeatedly warned they will not allow the elections to be held. Before the train massacres the militants had been accused of killing at least 1,9 0 people in Punjab this year. Sikhs form Only 2 percent of indians 844 million people but they Are in a majority in Punjab a Rich farming state sikh militants claim their Community is discriminated against by the hindus who form 82 percent of the country a population. Burma joins list of countries hit by aids Bangkok Thailand up a the aids epidemic has hit even isolated Burma with More than 10 percent of those tested proving positive for the aids virus in several towns official Rangoon radio reported sunday. A although aids is not widespread in Myanmar Burma the situation could become worse if responsible persons neglect it and it could even affect the National cause in the future a the radio quoted maj. Gen. Khin Nyunt As saying at a health seminar. Khin Nyunt who is Secretary of the ruling military Junta said that so far 74,287 individuals have been tested for the deadly aids virus and 2,186, or 2.9 percent have tested positive. He said that the highest rates of infection were found in Northern towns such As tac Hilek with 10.3 percent Keng Tung with 11.1 percent my Itkina with 66.3 percent and Bahamo with a stunning 96.1 percent. It was not Clear from the radio report whether the tests focused on High risk groups of people such As prostitutes and drug addicts or were carried out among a representative Sample of the population. A the rate of people contracting aids is higher in my Itkina and Bahamo because of infection through hypodermic Needles used by drug addicts a Khin Nyunt said. A a a he indicated that most of those infected in Keng Tung and tac Hilek near the Border with Thailand were women. That appeared to indicate the High infection rate might be due to prostitutes returning from working in thai brothels where researchers have detected infection rates of More than 30 percent. Surveying damage a Man sits atop nibble after an earthquake destroyed the soviet Village of sats Kaneti on saturday. The Village in the Republic of Georgia is about 90 Miles from the capital Tbilisi. The earthquake which measured 6j on the Richter scale destroyed eight other villages killed six and injured at least 50 people. Muslim pilgrims flock to Mecca Riyadh up a muslims from around the world continued to flock to saudi Arabia on sunday for the annual Hajj pilgrimage one of the five pillars of the islamic Faith that has attracted followers of the Prophet Mohammed for More than 1,400 years. Once a year during the month called Dhu Al Hija millions of muslims converge on Mecca the site of islam a holiest shrine to make a scheduled round of visits to holy places and Complete religious devotions at each spot. This is the trip of a lifetime for most a every Muslim is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once if he has the financial and physical Means to do so a though a few Lucky ones make the trip More than once. A we arrived a week Early to set up our things then make a trip to Medina to Pray then Back to Mecca a said Noor a second time Pilgrim. A it is very serious for us because to be know n As one who has finished Hajj is the greatest Honor a Muslim can have a he said. Many muslims work for years to save up the Money to perform the Hajj rituals. For some it is the last trip they will Ever make streets overflow with the old and ailing some of whom fall to the Side As the mass of humanity inches by. Exhilarating and sometimes frightening the Hajj is testimony to the religious Devotion and cohesion of the world s muslims. The desire to Complete this fundamental islamic rite is so Strong that last year s Tunnel mishap in which several Hundred pilgrims died during a Stampede has had no measurable effect on the numbers of pilgrims arriving according to saudi authorities. A a a in la not stay away for that  said Sara a 60-year-old saudi grandmother. A if my time has come better it be in Mecca a she said. Even apprehensions of trouble following the polarization of the Gulf conflict has failed to Dampen enthusiasm for making the trip. Some one million pilgrims usually make the pilgrimage to Mecca. About 683,000 were reported to have arrived in the kingdom by the Middle of  planting 21 Trees to Honor . Sailors ill Aviv Israel up a Israel will dedicate part of a National Forest this month to the memory of 21 . Navy sailors who drowned off the coast of the Northern City of Haifa last december . Embassy officials said sunday. Twenty one new Trees will be planted in the Carmel National Forest in the names of the sailors of the aircraft Carrier Saratoga. I he sailors died dec. 21, when a ferry taking them Back to their ship after Shore leave Sank in the Harbor. Israeli Navy commander rear adm. Miha ram . Ambassador to Israel William Brown and Haifa mayor Arieh Gurel will attend the ceremony said the . Embassy in Tel Aviv