20 Kashmiri militants to give up arms
Tribune News Service and PTI

JAMMU, Dec 29 — Decks are being cleared for securing the surrender of atleast 20 militants in Doda district in the next two days. The district police chief, Mr Munir Khan, is said to have played a key role in arranging the surrender of local militants.

The police and jawan of the Rashtriya Rifles have worked out a strategy under which local militants were being persuaded to surrender with the promise of rehabilitation.

Official sources said steps to force local militants to surrender were aimed at isolating foreign mercenaries in the district. Once local militants bid farewell to the arms it would be difficult for the foreign mercenaries to operate in isolation.

The sources said the security forces had killed 41 militants in Doda district in the last two months with the result that local insurgents were getting nervous and started accepting government's proposal for rehabilitation.

Meanwhile the Army would intensify its "operation goodwill" in the district to deal effectively with militancy.

The operation would be intensified through more interaction between the locals and the security personnel by holding fairs and civic action programmes, the sources said.

A meeting, chaired by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Delta forces Major Gen C.S. Brar, between army authorities and the civil administration held recently at the Delta headquarters at Batote also decided to induct local people in the police and paramilitary forces.

Under the "goodwill operation" the Army has carried out a number of development projects in Doda, including the construction of a bridge at Mughal Maidan, a water tank at Vailyan besides building additional class rooms at various primary schools in the district.

Militants target Kuka Parry's house

SRINAGAR, Dec 29 (PTI, UNI) — Militants attacked the house of Awami League Chairman and MLA Kuka Parray injuring one person, while a jawan was hurt when militants opened fire on the General Road Engineering Force (GREF) personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

Heavily-armed militants fired at the residence of Mohammad Yousuf Parray alias "Kuka Parray" at Hajan in Baramulla district late last night, but no harm come to him as the counter-insurgent-turned-politician, along with his family, had shifted his base to Jammu after militants made his house a target of rocket attacks on December 14, official sources said.

However, Roohi, a young girl, was injured when the security forces retaliated.

Constable J.N. Rai suffered serious wounds when militants fired at a party of GREF personnel at the Lal Chowk area today, the sources said.

Militants engaged the security forces in fierce encounters at Gadool-Kokernag and Nasu-Qazigund in Anantnag district today.

The sources said the militants fired rockets and grenades at a police post at Soibug in Badgam district last night. The police returned fire, but there was no casualty.

Jammu: Two persons, including a militant of the ‘Hizbul Mujahideen,’’ were killed in separate incidents in the Jammu region, while the police apprehended a militant and recovered arms and ammunition in Doda district.
The police said here today that a joint operation was launched by the special operation group of the local police and army troops at Gogra village in Doda district in the wee hours today. During the operation, militants fired at the search party with automatic weapons which was returned. A fierce encounter followed where a militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed. He was identified as Barkat Ali Alias Billo. "The encounter is still going on,’’ the spokesman said.

He said a security forces laid a naka at Chingus Nallah village in Rajouri district late last night. During the naka an encounter took place between the security forces and militants in which an ex-serviceman Ghula Wadir was killed. The militants escaped.

The police apprehended a Pakistani-trained militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Sajad Hussain alias Hukul, from Masjid Bazar Kishtwar in Doda district last evening. Two hand grenades and some incriminating documents were recovered from him, he said.