J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

An unexploded indigenous explosive device lying outside the main gate of the Rashtriya Rifle headquarters after a militant attack in Anantnag on Thursday — PTI photo

Security beefed up for R-day functions

Security beefed up for R-day functions
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 13 — Following the storming of the Rashtriya Rifles Brigade Headquarters in Khemabal in south Kashmir yesterday, in which three militants were killed, and in the light of determined efforts by Fidayeens to strike at security camps, the Army, the police, paramilitary forces and various intelligence agencies have made elaborate security arrangements to foil Pakistan's bid to disrupt Republic Day functions in the state.

Recently posters were circulated in some mosques in areas around the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar, venue of the main Republic Day function in the valley, urging people to flee to safer places. Though the reason for this warning has not been made known, apparently the warning comes in view of the militants' plan to target the stadia.

The security personnel are conducting a 15-day-long exercise of "sanitising" two stadia in Jammu and Srinagar. Sniffer dogs have been deployed to ensure that no explosive material is planted within the stadia. It was in 1995 that eight persons were killed in Jammu stadium when a powerful device exploded near the rostrum, where the Governor and other VIPs were watching the Republic Day function.

A plan has been prepared under which the security personnel equipped with automatic weapons would be deployed in strength inside and outside the two stadia. The Army's subcore group at the Tiger Division headquarters reviewed the security arrangements yesterday. A decision was taken to intensify combing operations in the Nikki Tawi area upto R.S. Pura area after solar-operated artillery rockets were recovered from the area.

Search operations in the area close to the international border during the past four days have resulted in the elimination of nine infiltrators by the Army.

Police sources said since the solar-operated rockets had been directed towards the Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu and the airport, it was evident that the Pak trained militants planned to strike in a big way.

The state government had sought assistance from the Army to deploy additional troops in sensitive areas.

The police has been asked to take into preventive custody those who could aid militants. Official sources said over 50 miscreants and separatists had been taken into custody so far.

During the last 10 years both the Republic and Independence Day celebrations in the state have been conducted under tight security. Militants have not been able to disrupt the functions in Srinagar so far. However, this time because of the stepped up militant activities the threat seems more real which has led to the elaborate security arrangements.

The DGP, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, is confident that improved coordination among various security and intelligence agencies would foil militants' bid to disrupt the Republic Day functions.

10 employee leaders arrested in Jammu
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 13 — Soon after the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act were invoked, several leaders of the Employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) went underground to escape arrest. However, during the past 24 hours, at least 10 leaders of the JAC have been arrested from various parts of Jammu.

The police crackdown was ordered late last evening. Employees who have been on strike for the past 22 days in protest against the non-payment of two instalments of DA and arrears have toughened their stand. Safai karamcharis of the local municipal council too have joined the strike.

Several opposition leaders, including those belonging to the Congress, have criticised the decision to invoke ESMA.

Official sources said the government had identified 20 leaders of the JAC and all of them would be arrested soon. The sources said even after invoking ESMA, the government was open to negotiations.

The state government has decided to deal firmly with those employees who refused to resume work from tomorrow. The state Cabinet will meet shortly to decide the future course of action in case the employees failed to return to their duty. One of the plans under consideration is to reduce the retirement age of employees from 58 to 55 and throwout those leaders who had sabotage the talks between the government and the JAC.

The government has threatened to make new recruitment to government offices.

It has made it clear to the employees that it cannot allocate Rs 575 crore for meeting their demands. It has suggested to the employees to accept 50 per cent of the DA in cash and the remaining amount along with the arrears will be credited to their provident fund, as had been done in several states.

There are indications that some of the leaders of the JAC are interested in resuming talks with the government provided all arrested leaders are released. Both sides have, for the time being, hardened their stand. The government has also issued directions to adopt the no-work-no-pay scheme to force the employees to resume their duty.

But if the employees working in the Power Development Department, Public Health Engineering and other sectors also join the strike, it will disrupt the supply of power and drinking water.

3 ultras die in attack on RR HQ
Major among casualties
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Jan 13 — Three militants involved in the attack on 1 RR Headquarters at Khanabal in South Kashmir yesterday have been killed in nightlong operations.

A Major and two civilians were also killed in the attack.

Two of the slain militants have been identified as Haroon and Abu Ahad, both of Harkat-ul-Mujahiden and residents of Lahore in Pakistan. The third militant, whose identity was yet to be ascertained, was believed to be a foreigner belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba. Security personnel have recovered three rifles, a disposable rocket, around 15 magazines and an equal number of hand grenades from the site. A building housing the MES Staff Headquarters was reduced to a rubble. The bodies of two militants were recovered from the debris. The third militant, died in retaliatory fire near the office of the DIG of Police.

Brigadier Deepak Bajaj told visiting mediapersons today that four of the five militants came in a Maruti van (JK-01C 8564) from the Qazigund side at about 6.15 p.m. last evening.

“As they jumped out of the van, the militants started firing rockets, grenades and IEDs”.

Brigadier Bajaj said this was followed by indiscriminate firing by the militants in which one soldier was injured. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The police here said a Major was killed in the attack. While a militant rushed into the office complex of the DIG of Police, three more rushed to the MES complex. A mother and a child were killed in the crossfire, when the militants fired indiscriminately before entering the complex.

At the MES Staff Headquarters, the hiding militants opened fire on security personnel. Three MES employees trapped inside were rescued following a “strict control of fire”, Brigadier Bajaj said. He said rockets and explosives were fired on the building to force the hiding militants to come out. The operation was over by 6 a.m. today.

Earlier reports suggested that the militants before storming the RR Headquarters took away the Maruti car of a leader of the RJD, Mr Ghulam Nabi, from Furrah village near Khanabal. Mr Nabi, provincial president of the RJD, was not present at the time of the attack but his house was ransacked by the militants.

At least 12 major attacks on the security forces and the police have been made by the militants after the Kargil crisis in July last year. Fifty security and police personnel have been killed in these attacks, including 17 Army men, 19 policemen, a DSP, and six BSF personnel, including a DIG and six CRPF personnel.

The militants first attacked the sector headquarters of the DIG at Bandipore on July 13, killing a DIG and four more in a 36-hour operation. Major P. Purushottam, Defence PRO, and eight more were killed when Fidayeen volunteers attacked the 15 Corps Headquarters at Badami Bagh cantonment here on November 3 last year. A BSF personnel was also killed in the encounter.

Seven policemen were killed when militants fired with pistols at five different places in the Civil Lines area on December 13. Twelve police personnel, including a DSP of the SOG, were killed when the militants attacked the SOG Headquarters here on December 27 last.

Another Major and a Colonel were killed in another incident in Kupwara district.

Elsewhere in the valley, a special police officer (SPO) and a militant were among three persons killed since last evening.

Official sources said militants fired upon a bus in which some security personnel were going for search operations at Achabal in south Kashmir last evening.

An SPO and the bus conductor were killed and three security personnel injured.

A militant was killed at Malyal Kupwara during a search last night.