Govt office gutted in rocket attack
Tribune News Service and agencies

JAMMU, Oct 4 — A government building was gutted in a rocket attack by militants in the Surankote area of Poonch district in the Jammu region last night, official sources said here today.

The sources said militants fired several rockets at a police station at Surankote, but the rockets missed the target and hit the tehsil office, which caught fire.

Some of the rockets fired by militants also fell on the helipad at Surankote, the sources said.

There was no report of any casualty or injury to any one in the rocket attack, the sources said.

SRINAGAR: Fifteen persons, including nine militants have been killed and 11 militants arrested while the police has repulsed a militant attack on a police station in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Seven persons, including three Border Security Force jawans, were wounded in a powerful grenade explosion triggered by militants at Kawdara near here today, official sources said.

The grenade, aimed by militants at a security picket in the area, exploded on the main road causing injuries to four civilians and three BSF personnel standing outside the picket, the sources said.

Tension gripped Sopore town of Baramula district where a labourer was killed and three businessmen were injured when the special operations group of the police opened fire during a raid on a fruit market last evening.

"The firing took place during the raid which left one person dead," an official spokesman said today.

However, official reports reaching here from Sopore, about 48 km from here, said a party of the special operations group of local police led by Inspector Rajni Sharma opened fire on people at the fruit market when they protested against the alleged highhandedness of the cops, resulting in the death of a 50-year-old labourer and injuries to three others.

The reports said the incident evoked widespread resentment among people of Sopore who today staged a dharna.

Four militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Hajawala in Kupwara district yesterday. Acting on a specific information, the security forces engaged the militants in a gunbattle which lasted for several hours. The identity of the slain militants in the day-long battle, was yet to be ascertained.

A police spokesman said here today that a police party was fired upon by the hiding militants in the Qazigund area of Anantnag district last evening. Four militants were reportedly injured in the incident. However, the police did not succeed in apprehending the militants. One persons was allegedly shot dead by the police at Fruit Mandi in Sopore in north Kashmir district of Baramula yesterday, sources here disclosed. However, the police said that a police party raided a suspected hideout at Fruit Mandi during which firing took place in which one person was killed. The identity of the civilian killed was still awaited.

Suspected militants shot dead a Head Constable of the Jammu and Kashmir police at Ajas, Sonawari in Baramula district yesterday. He has been identified as Bashir Ahmad.

In the Jammu region, militants shot dead at least four persons in separate incidents since yesterday. The police here said that two persons were killed in Udhampur district while one each was killed in Doda and Poonch districts.

The militants intruded into the house of Mohammad Iqbal at Morah in Udhampur district yesterday and shot him dead. Another person, Mohammad Yusuf, was hanged to death by the militants. He had been kidnapped from his house in Tuli Morah, the police said.

The militants shot dead Mohammad Ishaq, a surrendered militant in Doda. One person was killed in Poonch district, when militants intruded into his house at Mendhar. He was identified as Mohammad Qasim.

Meanwhile, the police and the security forces have recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition during search operations in the state since yesterday.

Militancy declining: J&K Govt
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 4 — There has been 43 per cent decline in militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the National Conference came to power two years ago. The rate of killings has also registered a decline of 23 per cent.

A 20-point review of the achievements of the Farooq Abdullah government, claims that 11,200 militancy- related incidents were recorded between October, 1994 and September, 1996, as against 6,376 between October, 1996 and September, 1998. The statement added that the pressure on militants had been maintained and that was "no local support". Militancy was being sustained by "foreign mercenaries" as 445 such militants were killed during the past two years. Only 229 foreign mercenaries had been killed between 1994 and 1996.

Giving an overall scenario in the state, the list of "achievements despite continuing proxy war and other constraints", also pointed towards the people's cooperation in their "fight against militancy in remote areas", including the mechanism of Village Defence Committees (VDCs) which have "been strengthened with equipment and communication network." The list added that an action plan had been "launched to crush militancy" in Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts.

"Pakistan designs to escalate violence... engineered communal divide and destabilise popular government foiled notwithstanding massacres and political killings...necessary support provided to security forces to crush residual militancy and restore total peace and normalcy", it stated.

The review issued by the State Information Department also said 1.02 lakh tourists visited the valley this year. This was the highest number of tourists visiting Kashmir for the first time since the outbreak of militancy nine years ago. A record number of 1.49 lakh pilgrims also visited the holy cave shrine of Amarnath between July and August.

The statement also claimed that the "overall situation in Kashmir valley is more relaxed and comparatively normal today then two years ago". Life is near normal and people move fearlessly everywhere", it added.

Several bunkers in the valley had been removed and the presence of the security forces thinned down to minimum in cities following significant improvement. In view of the improved law and order situation, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF had taken control of five major towns in the valley. It added that the police had reactivised, strengthened and assigned anti-militancy task with appreciable results.

It also claimed that the government succeeded in normalising the situation which led to the resumption of shooting by Mumbai and other film units in the valley.

J&K situation has improved: RSS chief
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Oct 4 — The RSS fully supports the May last Pokhran nuclear explosions and has complimented the BJP-led government at the Centre on its having taken the initiative to go nuclear.

According to the RSS chief, Prof Rajinder Singh, Indian scientists had the necessary know-how but the previous central governments had no "courage" to give the green signal to them to carry out nuclear explosions.

Addressing RSS volunteers here today, Prof Rajinder Singh said carrying out nuclear explosions had become necessary for India to demonstrate its "strength". "In the present world scenario a weak country is not taken into account. The voice of those who have economic and military strength is heard with attention," he said.

The RSS chief made it clear that India "is for peace" and by going nuclear "we simply wanted to test our defence capabilities". He said India had a long history of working for the promotion of peace in the world and the Pokhran blasts had raised the prestige of India in the world.

While referring to the ongoing militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Prof Rajinder Singh said terrorism was a dangerous trend. An atmosphere had to be created in which terrorism was "rooted out" worldwide. He said militancy had resulted in the large-scale killing of innocent persons and caused destruction in Jammu and Kashmir. He appreciated the role played by the people in fighting terrorism.

He said the situation in the state, particular in the Kashmir valley, had improved but total normalcy would be achieved only when all displaced families were able to return to the valley with dignity. He hoped the BJP policy on Kashmir would bear fruit shortly.

Prof Rajinder Singh, who is on a four-day visit to Jammu, said the RSS, which had 32 organisations, had assumed greater strength and its membership had increased from 32 lakh to 40 lakh during the past several years.

A strong Sangh Parivar, he added, had allowed the BJP to emerge as the major political group in the Lok Sabha in 1996. He supported various policies of the BJP government and said that the BJP could not implement major decisions because there were hurdles in its way which were inherent in a coalition government. He said the people would reap the fruits of the BJP policies in the near future.

Referring to river water disputes and the conflict over the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed Uttarakhand state, the RSS chief said these issues should be resolved as "family matters". No political party or organisation should try to exploit these issues. It made no difference whether Udham Singh Nagar remained in UP or in Uttarakhand because in any case the area remained in India. He wanted the contending parties to sit together and resolve water and territorial disputes just like members of one family.

He was critical of the way the English language was being thrust on the people, especially teenagers, by the government and by family heads. He said 32 crore people in India could read and write in Hindi and another 76 crore could understand Hindi. Still the English language played a dominant role in government offices, educational institutions and family discussions and dialogue.