M A I N   N E W S

Militants filming attacks
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 8
They come in twos or threes, open fire on a security camp or hurl a grenade or plant an IED or storm a security picket. Another militant is shooting the scene with a sophisticated video camera.

This is not reel but real story. Of late, militants have started shooting major incidents of storming a security camp by fidayeen or damage caused to an Army convoy in an IED blast. Later, the video cassettes are shown to new recruits to motivate them to carry out daring acts. These cassettes are also sent in different parts of the world to show to those supporting the jehad in Jammu and Kashmir.

Official sources say that separate funds have been earmarked to buy sophisticated video cameras and some militants have been trained in handling them. Public protest demonstrations are also filmed and sent to Pakistan and other Islamic countries to create an impression that the entire population in Kashmir is up in arms against the government.

Along with this, the rate of infiltration has stepped up in recent days. From across Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, R.S. Pora, Tangdhar, Bandipore and Kupwara, more than six groups of militants have entered the state. Official sources said that eyewitness accounts had revealed that these infiltrators carried bags full of arms and ammunition.

More than 1,000 militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, have been brought to the launching pads in the Kupwara, Uri, Bandipore, Poonch and Rajouri sectors and Pakistani troops directed to arrange their infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the sources, Pakistani agencies are keen to step up subversive violence, including attacks on political activists, policemen and members of the minority community to derail the peace process initiated by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. In this connection emphasis was being given to increase the number of foreign mercenaries in the state so that they dominate the local rebel groups. Already several areas, including Kokernag, Bandipore, Tangmarg, Lolab valley and Tral, have witnessed an unprecedented rise in the number of foreign mercenaries, a majority of them belonging to the dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Among the six groups of militants which recently infiltrated into the state, three belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba, two to the Hizbul Mujahideen and one to Al Badr.

They have been assigned the task of stepping up storming camps of security forces by fidayeen, ambushes of the Army convoys and eliminating mainstream political activists so that a scare was caused among the people.