5 militants killed in J&K

Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 30 — Eight persons, including five militants were killed in separate incidents, while security forces apprehended three suspects and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from different areas across the valley since yesterday.

Three unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the Army at Raji Chak near Aragam in Bandipore area of Baramula district yesterday. The police said that security forces were fired upon by the hiding militants during search operation in the area. The fire was returned and in the ensuing encounter three militants were killed. Three AK rifles, nine magazines, nine hand grenades and five kg of explosives were recovered from the site of the encounter.

According to a Defence spokesman the encounter lasted more than six hours in which the troops of 14 RR Battalion of 5 Sector RR killed three militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba. They are likely to be Afghanis, the spokesman added. He said that these militants had escaped from an encounter at Wonagam in Bandipore on August 25, where they had lost two of their colleagues. One of these killed is supposed to have been identified as ‘Gaznavi’, who was an important supplier of arms and ammunition in the area.

Two other militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in an encounter with the Army at Devar Anderbugh forest area of Lolab in border district of Kupwara. According to police the troops were fired upon by the militants during search operations. The fire was returned and in the firefight that followed two militants were killed. Two AK rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter. A Defence spokesman said that troops of a Garhwal Battalion of 11 Sector RR killed two foreign militants. In all five militants were killed in the two separate encounters by troops of 28 Mountain Division.

One militant was killed at Atham-Gali, Kalaroos in Kupwara district in an encounter with security forces, the police here said. One AK rifle and some arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of the encounter.

The police today recovered body of a 60-year old man, identified as Sikander Peer of Batapora in Kupwara district. He had been kidnapped from his house on the intervening night of August 28 and 29.

A bullet-riddled body of a surrendered militant was recovered from Gadsathu in Budgam district today. Identified as Froz Ahmad of Sullayach, Chadoora in Budgam district, he had been working with a private insurance company.

PTI: Two militants from Kupwara and another from Srinagar were arrested by the security forces and seized one AK assault rifle, three hand grenades, a detonator and some ammunition from them, the spokesman said.

He said security forces also destroyed two militant hideouts in Kupwara and recovered three AK assault rifles, five improvised explosive devices, four hand grenades, a binocular and some ammunition at Mushnar forest and Mohri and Kaninab Nar forests in Kupwara.

"I don’t think military measures alone can root out militancy. A multi-pronged approach is needed to tackle it," Gen V.P. Malik told reporters at Gazigund, 80-km from here, yesterday.

Seeking people’s help in tackling terrorism, he said Afghans and Pakistanis constitute 60 per cent of militants who were engaged in a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked whether Taliban’s next target was Kashmir, Gen Malik, on a four-day visit to J&K said "our forces are strong enough to meet any challenge".

On the situation in Kashmir, he said "I have no doubt we will control militancy".

Addressing troops at Qazigund, he told them "not to indulge in actions that give a chance to human rights organisations to point an accusing finger at you".

JAMMU: Plot to revive militancy in Punjab has been unearthed with the arrest of three Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agents, the police said today.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the trio, arrested by the Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir Police in a joint action yesterday, used to assist ISI agents in crossing border and arrange "safe hide-outs for them as well as assist them in identifying possible targets", the police spokesman said.

The arrested persons, Pakistan-trained spy Dipty Nath, arms courier Kanta Devi and Ashok Kumar, were also trying to reactivate old militants in Punjab, he said.

Some more Pakistani agents were expected to be arrested soon following the interrogation of three agents, he said.

Large quantities of ammunition including 14 kg of RDX, five bombs and dozens of time pencils were recovered from their possession.

Nath was involved in smuggling of explosives and heroin into India, the police said. Nath originally hails from Kathua district of Jammu region and was running hosiery business in Ludhiana.

Two of their associates, Pradeep and Ved Prakash Sharma, were still absconding, the police said.