The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, December 6, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

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6 CRPF men killed in encounter
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 5 — In two simultaneous suicide attacks by militants on security forces camps, at least six CRPF personnel and three militants were killed and nine others injured in Kashmir since last evening.

With the two attacks, one at a CRPF camp in Anantnag and the other at Devar Lolab in Kupwara district, the week-long graph of militancy-related incidents has suddenly gone up. The attacks followed a powerful IED explosion that killed a civilian and an Army jawan at Khanpora on the outskirts of Baramula yesterday.

A police spokesman said here that two foreign militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit and six CRPF personnel were killed and eight CRPF jawans and an Army jawan were injured in the suicide attack on a camp at Ashajipora in Anantnag town of south Kashmir. The encounter between the militants and security forces which began at about 5 pm yesterday continued till 1 pm this afternoon, resulting in the death of two Fidayeen militants. The police said the militants attacked the CRPF camp at the defunct Heevan cinema hall in Anantnag. However, unofficial reports said three militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and seven CRPF personnel were killed in the incident. One of the militants was identified as Abu Kashif.

Security forces foiled another attempt of the Fidayeen suicide squad militants at a camp of 18 RR and 32 RR at Devar in Lolab valley of Kupwara district. One militant was killed by the security forces while the other managed to escape, reports said.

Two IAF personnel were injured when their vehicle was hit by an IED detonated by militants at Padgampora in Pulwama district this morning. Two vehicles were also damaged in the explosion, the police said. One person was apprehended by the police for preliminary questioning following the incident, the reports said.

Gunmen shot Khursheed Ahmad Yatoo of Koimoh at Trisal in Kulgam area of Anantnag district, the police said.

No tripartite talks: India
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 5 — Ruling out tripartite talks on Jammu and Kashmir, India today made clear that Pakistan needed to initiate more concrete steps, for “an environment suitable for resumption of the composite dialogue”.

In a detailed statement to Islamabad’s response to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire of November 19, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said: “We expect Pakistan to address our concerns and also those of the international community on cross-border terrorism, infiltration into India, and aiding and abetting of violence. We note that Pakistan is reaffirming its commitment to ‘earlier agreements’. That is why a clear reaffirmation and adherence to the Simla Agreement, and the Lahore Declaration would only be logical”.

Admitting that there was recognisable reduction in firing along the Line of Control and infiltration from across the border had also not taken place in any marked manner, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated the government’s desire to hold talks with all parties and groups in Jammu and Kashmir, including the militants.

The modalities of these talks would be decided by the Government of India, the spokesman pointed out making abundantly clear, that there was no room for “tripartite talks”.

Expressing its commitment to the peace process, the spokesman said India would remain steadfast in that approach. Upon conclusion of the month of Ramzan, the government would review the situation and announce its further course of action.

In a move to further tighten pressure on Islamabad’s military regime, India today not only ruled out “tripartite talks” on Jammu and Kashmir, but also expressed hope that Pakistan would be persuaded to cease promotion of cross-border terrorism so as to create an environment suitable for resumption of the composite dialogue.

Agreeing with Islamabad’s description of its response to Prime Minister Vajpayee’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire as “nothing new” as there was not any “basic shift in the policies of Pakistan”, the spokesman said: “We, too, do not find anything substantially different in Pakistan’s announcements from what they have earlier been saying.”

To Islamabad’s statement that their armed forces “deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir will observe maximum restraint”, the spokesman said the Indian security forces had always exercised utmost restraint in the face of persistent provocation and violations of the LoC and continue to do so.

“At the same time, attempts to misuse this phase and push terrorists will be robustly met”, the spokesman warned, reiterating that “there is no role of any kind for any third party here”.

Leaving enough space for Islamabad to respond to the Indian initiative, the spokesman said the government hoped that this statement of Pakistan “is a precursor of a meaningful change in its attitude”.

New Delhi has refused to rush into the situation and has adopted a very cautious approach to the entire issue of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said explaining the statement.

The sources said Pakistan would have to make clear in no uncertain terms its stand on the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration as this would mean abandoning the UN resolutions on Kashmir.

New Delhi would first like to assess the situation domestically before moving any further on the issue, the sources said, adding that Mr Vajpayee’s experience from his Lahore bus journey had made the government cautious.

Meanwhile, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, today welcomed the Pakistani offer to exercise restraint at the LoC and urged the Centre to take further steps to resume dialogue with Islamabad and other parties involved in the Kashmir issue.

Describing the Pakistani offer as a step towards restoring peace in the sub-continent, Syed Bukhari said it had created a conducive atmosphere for resuming a dialogue.