Farmers sow harvest of hope
LONDI (Kathua): Instead of the roar of the Pakistani guns, it is the noise of running tractors, engaged by the BSF for ploughing farmers land along the border that attracts the attention of visitors to this sleepy border village.

9 more die in militant-Ikhwan war
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 23 — Militants gunned down eight persons nine according to UNI all relatives of Ikhwan counter-insurgents in different villages of Kulgam area in South Kashmir district of Anantnag during the past night.

The police here said that unidentified gunmen intruded into houses and shot dead eight persons. One of them is reported to an activist of the Ikhwan or counter-insurgent at Kulgam town. Those killed belonged to five families of Koimu and Buchroo villages near Kulgam tehsil headquarters.

They have been identified as Ghulam Hassan Matoo and his son, Mohammad Shafi at Buchroo village. Ghulam Hassan Matoo's other son is reported to be an activist of an Ikhwan counter-insurgent group based at Anantnag. He however, escaped. Two other relatives of the Ikhwani killed in the same village, have been identified as Ghulam Nabi Mattoo and Abdul Hamid Mattoo.

Two person killed in village Koimu have been identified as Mohammad Ramzan Bhat and his son Imtiyaz Ahmad. Imtiyaz was reported to have been attached to the Ikhwan camp at Kulgam. Militants also gunned down Ghulam Mohammad Bhat and Gulzar Ahmad in the same village.

The bodies of those killed were left lying at various places with panicked villagers too scared to move them.

Reports suggested that the killing of relatives of Ikhwan activists was in retaliation for the killing of four activists of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kulgam area on Sunday night. The four Jamaat activists, Master Ghulam Hassan Lone and his son, Mohammad Amin, Ghulam Rasool Dar and his son, Mohammad Yusuf Dar, were killed at Kujar Kawdrung in Kulgam. The killing of these four persons was in its turn retaliation for the killing of two Ikhwan activists in a taxi at Truck Tachloo in the same area a day earlier.

Senior police and civil administration officers have rushed to the spot. The situation in Kulgam and its adjoining areas is stated to be tense.

UNI adds: Security forces captured four militants and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition across the valley during the period, an official spokesman said.

Official sources told UNI that body of another person Gulzar Ahmad Laloo was recovered from Redwani from the same district (Kulgam) this afternoon.

About 40 relatives of militants, Jamat-e-Islami workers and counter-insurgents have been killed by "unidentified gunmen" during the past two months in the district.

The killings by the militants comes close on the heels of a police statement yesterday that militants suffered "severe setbacks" in south Kashmir during the past two months following elimination of 25 ultras.

"Thoroughly shaken and scattered the banned Hizbul Mujahideen outfit out of frustration has been resorting to innocent killing of civilians through random firing and grenade attacks," the statement said, adding "the architect of these killings was Aamir Khan, self-styled deputy supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen of Liver-Pahalgam (Anantnag)."

Fearing his elimination, Aamir Khan had run away from south Kashmir and was believed to be hiding on the outskirts of Srinagar. A manhunt had been launched, the statement said.

The spokesman said a policeman and a woman were killed in an exchange of fire between militants and security forces at Gulata in the border district of Poonch in Jammu today.

Two unidentified militants were killed and a policeman seriously wounded in an encounter at Nilpora in Pattan area of Baramulla district last night.

Two rifles, two grenades and some ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, the spokesman said.

He said militants shot dead an auto driver at Zaindar mohalla in downtown Srinagar last night.

Two militants affiliated with Harkat-ul-Ansar outfit were killed by the security forces during search operations in Gandoh area of Doda district last evening.

Two militants were apprehended from Sekidafer in Srinagar while a militant each was arrested from Khundah in Badgam and Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday.

Security forces killed two militants during an encounter at Kunthal last evening. One AK-56 rifle, one pistol, three magazines, 29 rounds and one grenade were recovered from the slain militants.

Militants fired upon a security force patrol at Gulata village today with automatic weapons. In the ensuing shootout a constable and a woman were killed.

In an encounter between militants and Jammu and Kashmir Special Operation Group at Palpora Pattan in Baramulla district last evening, two militants were killed and one police jawan Mukhtar Ahmad was injured.

Farmers sow harvest of hope
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

LONDI (Kathua): Instead of the roar of the Pakistani guns, it is the noise of running tractors, engaged by the BSF for ploughing farmers land along the border that attracts the attention of visitors to this sleepy border village.

So far farmers have completed sowing of 59 acres of wheat on land along the zero line. Sowing has been possible this year after a gap of two years after Pak Rangers, for the first time, agreed to honour the agreement reached between the two sides on cessation of gun and mortar fire on the civilian villages.

Three weeks ago this tiny village was almost deserted after villagers fled to Hiranagar tehsil headquarters after a civilian was killed and two were injured in Pakistani firing. Several houses as stand mute 'monuments' to the heavy firing. But after the agreement and following adequate security measures by the BSF the residents are back at work.

When this correspondent visited the village, Kanta Devi and her daughter-in-law were seen drying wheat against the backdrop of their house whose walls and windowpanes have been ripped open by gunfire. Her son had encircled each bullet hole to allow visitors to count them faster.

In the recent past residents had lost 14 head of cattle to Pakistani firing. For months they had even kept their cattle tethered to ensure their survival but now one can see buffaloes and cows moving lazily in the fields and in the village lanes.

The BSF has taken several measures to fortify its position. "Once we are fortified, the village will remain secured against Pakistani firing," said a BSF jawan supervising a bulldozer engaged in raising a protective clay wall. Recalling with pain the killing of one BSF jawan recently in Pakistani firing he said "we have to stop Pakistani bullets hitting civilian houses and huts."

Three other border villages, Pansar, Rathua and Bobian bear similar "bullet wounds" on houses and huts although Bobian residents did not flee their houses. Explaining a BSF official said we retaliated firmly and were able to silence the Pak guns before they could cause much damage in our area."

At Pansar village the BSF observation post was punctured by more than 200 bullets. "One could see the bullet holes from the ground on the tin shed situated at a height of 50 feet.

The BSF men atop the border observation post had had to jump down to ensure their survival. They suffered multiple fractures in their legs and are still under treatment. The BSF kitchen storeroom and office bore heavy bullet marks.

Farmers, who had not been able to carry out farming for the last two years are happy that sowing has been completed in several areas and in other areas it will be over within the next week. They wonder if they will be allowed to harvest wheat in April-May?

Although a little more secure the four border villages, like scores of others, otherwise present a picture of neglect. The condition of roads, except between a portion from Londi and Bobian, is abominable and driving on roads buried under ankle-deep water and clay is often hazardous.

In several areas culverts have been washed away in flash-floods with no civil authority visiting the area to rebuild the culverts and broken roads.

While parts of Pansar and Maheer villages have good agricultural produce as most of the area is yet to see development.

Spate of strikes hit work in Jammu

JAMMU, Dec 23 (PTI) — Work in government offices continued to be disrupted in the Jammu region as the a pen down strike called by the Joint Action Committee (jac) of Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees demanding release of arrears and raising of retirement age continued for the fourth day today.

Thin attendance was recorded in several government offices in the state’s winter capital because of the strike.

The affected offices include schools, colleges and office of divisional commissioner and deputy commissioner.

Reports reaching here from Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri, Kathua and Poonch said a complete strike was observed paralysing the total system.

Meanwhile the Public Sector Units (psu) Employees Strike entered in third day today in support of their demand for immediate release of pay arrears. The dharna of Jammu Development Authority (jda) employees entered its seventh day today.