JCO among 5 killed

SRINAGAR, Oct 18 (PTI) — Five persons including two militants and a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and six securitymen wounded in separate incidents as the security forces frustrated militants' plan to set off four explosions in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Militants bombed a house while a militant was arrested by the security forces in the valley during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

He said a JCO lost his life in a militant ambush on an Army patrol in the Bharat area of Doda district in the Jammu region today.

The Army personnel returned fire but the militants escaped, the spokesman said adding the area was cordoned off by the troops.

Militants shot at and wounded a released militant, Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh, in the Safakadal area of downtown Srinagar today. Sheikh, who had reportedly joined the counter-insurgency Ikhwan outfit after his release was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

The spokesman said two militants were killed in a fierce encounter with the security forces at Baderkul in Kupwara district yesterday. Two AK assault rifles, 5 kg of explosives and 20 grenades were recovered from the encounter site.

Militants kidnapped and later shot dead Inayatullah in the Paneen area of Doda district last night, he said.

The spokesman said militants triggered off a landmine near Hatmura in Anantnag district last evening when a security vehicle passed by that way. However, no harm was caused.

However, security sources said five securitymen sustained minor injuries when the driver of the vehicle lost control soon after the blast and it fell into a gorge. The injured were given medical aid.

The sources said militants bombed the house of Abdul Ahad Khan at Qoimore in the same district last night, but no one was hurt. The house suffered extensive damage.

Militants attacked a police patrol with sophisticated weapons at Kreeri-Duru in Anantnag today. Police personnel returned fire, the spokesman said adding the militants escaped but left two AK magazines, seven cartridges and three grenades at the site which were seized.

Militants also fired towards a house at Warsun in Kupwara district last night. However, no harm was caused.

The spokesman said jawan sustained splinter injuries when militants attacked a picket with a grenade at Magermalbagh in Srinagar last evening. The injured jawan was shifted to hospital.

The spokesman said an explosive device, suspected to have been planted by militants, exploded near Ahmedia Mosque at Poonch in the Jammu region around 1005 hours today, resulting in injuries to a pedestrian. However, no damage was caused to the place of worship.

The security forces detected an improvised explosive device lying in the Surankote area of Poonch today. The device was immediately neutralised by experts without causing any harm.

Two explosive devices planted by militants were detected on a road in the Bhanderkote-Patimahal area in Doda district last evening. These were defuse by experts.

The security forces also detected and defused a landmine in Kupwara district today.

The spokesman said the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a militant from his hideout at Wawatpora on the outskirts of Srinagar last evening. The militant was being questioned, he added.

Naval Commandos guard Wular
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 18 — Marine commandos operating in water bodies of Jammu and Kashmir, including the world famous Wular Lake, assist the Army in anti-militancy operations.

This was disclosed by Adm Vishnu Bhagwat, Chief of the Naval Staff, here today. He is on a five-day visit to Kashmir to familiarise himself with the situation prevailing in the state. During his stay here, Admiral Bhagwat had detailed meetings with senior Army officers headed by Lt-Gen Krishan Paul on the prevailing situation in the valley.

"The Army is happy with the contribution made by the Marine commandos operating in Wular Lake and some other water bodies in the state", Admiral Bhagwat told The Tribune. He added that the presence of Marine commandos had denied the use of the lake by militants for dumping arms and ammunition.

Wular lake was being used by militants as an escape route for spreading to other parts of the valley after they crossed over from across the border in north Kashmir. "For the past two and a half years Wular Lake is free from militant activities due to the presence of Marine commandos," Admiral Bhagwat said.

He is scheduled to visit various border areas of the valley to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and to familiarise himself with the terrain in which security forces have been fighting militancy.

Answering a question, Admiral Bhagwat, who is also member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, said the Navy was committed to increase the number of personnel being enrolled from the valley. He said the Commander of 15 Corps, Lt-Gen Krishan Pal, had agreed to extend all help to the Navy in carrying out recruitment from the remote areas. The Navy hoped to enrol about 50 sailors from next year. He admitted that there was a poor response to the enrolment during the previous year when enrolment to the navy from Kashmir was commenced. Out of 25 seats allocated to Jammu and Kashmir, only 10 candidates were selected last year, Admiral Bhagwat said.

He announced the institution of a scholarship under which deserving students of classes VI to VIII from the remote border areas of the valley would be given scholarships for carrying out studies at naval schools at Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Cochin, Lonavla and Delhi. The Divisional Commanders of the Army would select such youths and they would be sent to the naval schools.

Referring to the situation in Kashmir, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat said that the valley was fast returning to normalcy and the people of Kashmir had realised that the democratic path chosen by them was the only hope for long lasting peace and stability in the region.

Earlier today, Mrs Neelofar Bhagwat, wife of the naval chief, inaugurated a colourful Divali mela at Badami Bagh cantonment.

Hailstorm, rain ravage crops
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Oct 18 — Ramesh Chander of Kirpalpur village in Marh block of Jammu district is in tears. Standing crops on his farm have been totally damaged in the recent hailstorm. He had pegged his future on the harvesting of paddy. He has now lost all hope. The fate of several thousand farmers in 33 villages of Marh block and adjoining areas is not dissimilar to that of Ramesh Chander.

Crops on more than 4,000 acres have been ravaged by the hailstorm. And whatever was left had been destroyed by incessant rain during the past one week.

A drive from Kanachak to Chakrali to Kripalpur and Gomansa confirmed reports of large-scale devastation of crops. In various areas harvested crops were damaged owing to water logging.

Milkhi Ram and Yashpal are perturbed over the serious pecuniary problems they are faced with. They and other villagers had purchased several domestic items from traders on the promise that after selling their foodgrains they would make the payment. Prior to the rain and hail devastation, shopkeepers had willingly supplied the goods the farmers wanted. The scene stands changed. Shopkeepers have stopped the supply of even essential commodities on loan.

Ramesh Chander and Shiv Ram of Tikri Khani and Kripalpur villages say they have no money to meet their day-to-day requirements. Many farmers are worried because they have no means to meet various demands of their children. They have no fodder for their cattle as sprawling fields with fodder stand submerged.

The Minister of State for Food, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, toured the Marh constituency, which he represents in the state assembly, thrice during the past 10 days to supervise relief operations being carried out by government agencies. Mr Sadhotra had been instrumental in arranging free rations for those whose crops have been totally damaged. This category of affected farmers killed get Rs 5,000 per cent as compensation.

A preliminary survey carried out by government agencies has revealed that in several villages in Marh block the extent of damage to the crops ranges between 80 pre cent and 100 per cent.

The recent hailstorm and rain have affected vast tracts of fertile land in the RS Pora sector, considered to be the Jammu region's rice bowl. Most of the farmers had started harvesting paddy in the first week of this month. Heaps of reaped paddy stood in pools of water at several places. In several villages right from RS Pora to Suchetgarh and from there to Bishna, standing paddy crops have been "shattered" by the heavy rain and hail.

Officials connected with agriculture and rural development stationed in RSPora fear reduction of the paddy yield by 25 per cent in the rice bowl because of weather-related problems and on account of intermittent but heavy firing by Pakistani rangers on the border villages. The firing had affected farm work on 20,000 kanals of land in the RSPora, Samba, Bishna and Akhnoor areas.

The affected farmers have demanded immediate cash relief. They say if there is a delay in the distribution of cash assistance or compensation many of them will be forced to either pawn their land to traders or sell it for a song.

Red alert sounded
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Oct 18 — The Minister of State for Home, Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Lone, today visited the Kotbalwal jail in Jammu from where three Pakistani militants, including "Major" Irfan, escaped yesterday morning.

Mr Lone directed the jail authorities to strengthen the security measures to prevent any further escape by the militants who have been lodged in the prison on charges of their involvement in carnages in different parts of the state.

Meanwhile, mystery surrounds the escape of the three militants from the jail. Although the police version is that the three broke the steel bars of the cell window, experts are of the opinion that without the help of either securitymen or jail officials the militants could not have jumped to safety by scaling two high walls that encircle the prison.

Throughout the night CRPF, state police and jail personnel carried out combing operations within the jail premises and the adjoining areas. However, there was no clue. Four persons have been taken into custody for questioning. They were moving about repeatedly on the road in front of the jail in a vehicle. Reports said that during the past three days a group of youths had kept moving frequently on the road in front of the jail.

A red alert has been sounded in Jammu and the BSF and the troops have been directed to remain vigilant to prevent the three Pakistani militants from crossing over to Pakistan.

The police has tightened security on the eve of Divali to prevent the militants who escaped from the jail to trigger blasts. "Major" Irfan had masterminded the January 26, 1995, blast in the Jammu sports stadium in which eight persons were killed.

Senior officers of the police and the paramilitary forces and the jail authorities held a prolonged meeting within the jail premises to discuss the security measures.

What has intrigued many government agencies is the way the state government has assigned the task of investigation to a senior CID officer when security in the jail is under the control of the state CID. The probe body should have been headed by some senior police officer or by a judge.

In the meantime the police has foiled a major Pakistani plan of fomenting violence during the Divali festival in Jammu by eliminating an intruder near the Ramgarh area in the Samba sector today. Six kg of RDX, "time pencils" and other materials were recovered. The police said the explosive was to be used for carrying out blasts in Jammu city during the Divali festival.

Arrest warrants against J-K Minister

JAMMU, Oct 18 (PTI) — Arrest warrants were issued against a state minister and four other officials of the Estate Department for unlawfully and forcibly taking possession of a government house in Jammu and misappropriation of items belonging to the High Court.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jammu, Mr B L Bhat, issued arrest warrants against the State Minister for Parks, Gardens, Haj and Auquaf, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmed Shah and four other officials of the Estates Department.

The CJM, on October 16, held the minister and four estates officials prima facie guilty of criminal conspiracy, committing criminal trespass and house breaking to commit offence and theft, besides criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of property.

"On a criminal complaint filed by the Deputy Registrar of the High Court, Mr D K Kapoor, the CJM, while issuing arrest warrants against the minister Peerzada Ghulam Ahmed Shah, Director Estates Khalid Habib, Deputy Director D K Vaid and others held that the acts of the commission attributed to the accused were not connected with the official duty of any of them nor had such acts been committed by them while acting in discharging of their official duty.

Agreement to stop border firing

JAMMU, Oct 18 (PTI) — The Border Security Force (BSF) authorities and the Pakistani Rangers have agreed to stop the exchange of fire along the international border in the Jammu region to de-escalate tension, a BSF spokesman said here today.

The decision was taken by the commanders of both sides during a meeting at a Octerio border post here yesterday, the spokesman said.

The commanders discussed issues pertaining to firing on civilian areas in which villagers and cattle were becoming casualties, he said adding the matter of harvesting crops and putting up additional bunkers on both sides also figured during the meeting.