M A I N   N E W S

Huge cache of arms seized

Reinforcements being rushed to the spot of an encounter between militants and security forces at Kunzar, 40 km from Srinagar, in the Tangmarg area of Baramulla district, where one militant was killed in a day-long operation on Friday. — Photo Amin War.

Srinagar, August 17
Troops achieved a major success when they seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including RDX, grenades, IEDs and timers, in the frontier district of Kupwara while elsewhere in the Kashmir valley, a police constable and a militant were among three persons killed today.

An official spokesman said an encounter took place between militants and security forces at Kunzer in Baramulla district this morning.

One militant was killed and the operation was going on.

Militants shot dead Jammu and Kashmir police constable Abdul Majid Mir at Sangri Baramulla this afternoon when he was returning from a mosque after offering Friday prayers.

A defence spokesman said in a successful operation, troops seized 28 kg of RDX, 13 powerful improvised explosive devices, four timer pencils, 105 rifle grenades, 18 hand grenades, 1200 rounds of ammunition, 20 grenade launchers and one AK rifle silencer in the Rashanpura forest of Kupwara last night.

The arms and ammunition were buried in the ground by militants who could not recover them because of tight vigil in the area.

Militants shot dead Wali Mohammad Bhat at Rafiabad in Baramulla district while some houses were damaged in a blast at Watapora in Bandipora last night. No one was injured in the blast. UNI

Militants sneak into Jammu
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 17
When three militants were killed in an encounter with the police at Sanduwan, 7 km from the winter Capital today, it further confirmed reports that Pakistan-aided rebels had started knocking the door of Jammu city.

According to Mr Jagjit Singh, who supervised the operation against the militants hiding in a maize field, claimed that the three rebels belonged to a new outfit, Lashkar-e-Tehrik. He said that on receipt of information about the movement of the rebels, the police cordoned off the area. “As we were approaching the hideout, my boys came under fire,” he said adding that the police retaliated and killed the three on the spot.

He said that they had recently sneaked into Jammu city and had plans of attacking the Jammu bus stand after militants had failed to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations in any part of the Jammu region. Large quantities of arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Two days ago, militants were sighted near the Satwari area, which is near the cantonment area. Though the police and paramilitary forces launched search operations, there was no trace of them. The police had carried out operations in areas on the outskirts of Jammu city after people reported that the gunmen had been seen moving freely there.

Police sources confirmed that militants have carved out hideouts on the outskirts of Jammu city and a number of intelligence sleuths have been deputed to identify these hideouts. So far, there has been no success because people in those areas are scared and do not want to invite the wrath of the rebels.

A senior Congress leader, Mr Raman Bhalla, has blamed the National Conference government for the rapid deterioration in the security situation in the Jammu region. He said that during the past five years of NC rule, militancy has spread to various areas in the region. He stated that prior to the assumption of power by the NC, militant activities in Jammu and Kathua districts were almost non-existent. However, during the past five years, militants have established their bases in every part of the Jammu region.

Mr Bhalla said that the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues were engaged in activities which could be treated as extraneous as they had nothing to do with improving the performance of the administration. He said that growing power crisis had encouraged people to stage demonstrations which gave added advantage to the rebels to exploit the situation. He accused the BJP-led NDA government also of failure to mitigate the problems of the people of the state.

However, several NC leaders were of the opinion that tackling the menace was the job of the security forces and the ruling party leaders and workers could hardly take guns in their hands and eliminate militants. They said it was the duty of the security forces, especially the Army, to check infiltration from across the border.

They said as long as infiltration continued there would be no end to militancy.

Situation in J&K ‘militarily stable’: Army Chief
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 17
The Chief of Army Staff, Gen S. Padmanabhan, today said the situation in the disturbed state of Jammu and Kashmir was “militarily stable” and asserted the security forces were keeping the mercenaries and militants on the run through sustained pressure.

“The situation in the state is not bad at all in the military sense,” General Padmanabhan said, adding that recently the security forces had carried out sustained operations and achieved “big successes” with more than 400 militants being killed.

Some major groups have lost a significant number of their leaders and the militants have suffered quite a number of casualties, he said here while talking to newspersons after a function to honour the members of a successful Army expedition to the world’s highest peak, Mt Everest, recently.

Saying that the security forces through greater vigil were making “crossings” hot on the Line of Control (LoC), the Army Chief said there were reports of “greater number of exfiltration”.

“The crossings from this side are on the rise. Certain numbers have gone across. We have intercepted many others,” General Padmanabhan said.

The Army Chief saw something “abnormal” in this phenomenon, saying that in recent years Pakistani mercenaries and militant groups had been imparting military training to local youths in remote jungles and mountain tops within Jammu and Kashmir.

“So why they are taking them across again has to be gone into. Something appears abnormal”, General Padmanabhan said, adding that it was the pressure that was leading the militants to pick up soft targets and indulge in “heinous crimes”.

JKLF not to pull out of Hurriyat

Geneva, August 17
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has said it would not pull out of the 23-party separatist alliance — the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

“The Hurriyat Conference represents the aspirations of the people of the state and it is important for all political groups to strengthen the conglomerate to help in finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem,” senior JKLF leader Barrister Majid Tramboo said. UNI