3 foreign militants killed
SRINAGAR, Dec 22 — At least four persons, including three foreign militants and one security force personnel, were killed and 12 pedestrians were wounded on Wednesday in various incidents in the Kashmir valley a police spokesman said.

Pak agents dangle baits before SPOs
JAMMU, Dec 22 — Pakistani agencies have evolved a new strategy to hook up special Police Officers to militancy. Reports say several Pakistani agents, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, have contacted numbers of SPOs.

J & K staff stir: Tarigami blames Centre, State
JAMMU, Dec 22 — Today, on the third day of the four-day general strike by State Government employees, the CPM leader, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, MLA, accused both the State and Central governments of not keeping their promises made to the employees.

3 foreign militants killed
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 22 — At least four persons, including three foreign militants and one security force personnel, were killed and 12 pedestrians were wounded on Wednesday in various incidents in the Kashmir valley a police spokesman said.

Security forces cordoned off Yakwanpora village at Pattan. Militants hiding in the area fired at search parties. The fire was returned. Two foreign militants namely Sher Khan and Mohamad Ahmad were killed in the encounter the spokesman said.

He said in the encounter one security forces jawan was killed and another was injured. Two houses also caught fire.

Security forces shot another foreign militant at Arin in Baramula district.

Today at 1.40 p.m. militants hurled a grenade at the security forces picket near the DC's office in Anantnag. The bomb missed the target and exploded on the road, resulting in splinter injuries to 12 pedestrians the spokesman said.

In the evening militants fired upon the vehicle of Tanveer Ali, son of Sadiq Ali, MLA in the Hassanabad area. One Munib Ahmad was wounded in the incident. Three suspects have been detained from the area.

Pak agents dangle baits before SPOs
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 22 — Pakistani agencies have evolved a new strategy to hook up special Police Officers (SPOs) to militancy. Reports say several Pakistani agents, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, have contacted numbers of SPOs. They are being promised at least Rs 10,000 a month for rejoining pro-Pak militant outfits. Each SPO receives Rs 1500 per month.

Official sources say Pakistani agencies were finding it hard to push of large groups of militants, especially foreign mercenaries, into Jammu and Kashmir since there is strict patrolling on the LoC, Pakistani agencies were trying to inflate the militant ranks within the State by wooing SPOs, who are already trained in the handling of sophisticated weapons. There are over 12,000 SPOs in the State. While more than 50 per cent of them have been deployed as security officials to political activists and those who are on the hit list of the militants, the remaining have been engaged in carrying out operations against militants.

Sources say Pakistani agents have visited residences of certain SPOs, where they promised the family Rs 10,000 a month besides meeting its other requirements. They also promised the family Rs 5 lakh in case of death or injuries to on SPO in encounters with security forces.

The State Government has reports that certain SPOs were receiving the salary from the police and providing indirect assistance to militants. Many such reports have been received from parts of Kupwara, Baramula, Poonch and Doda districts.

Another strategy adopted by Pakistani troops is to engage the Indian forces in cross-border fire so that a passage was carved out for infiltrators. More than 1,000 militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, are waiting in camps across Uri, Kupwara, Keran, Poonch and Rajouri to be pushed into Jammu and Kashmir.

During the past three days Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar and artillery shelling on Indian pickets and villages in Uri and the Lipa valley in the Kupwara sector. There was no damage or casualty on this side, but official sources say Pakistani troops had succeeded in pushing into the valley scores of infiltrators under the cover of artillery shelling in the Uri sector.

After the Kargil conflict Indian troops have intensified border patrolling. Naka parties have been set up from the border up to the villages. Defence sources say during the past four months the rate of infiltration has considerably dropped.

Pakistan is keen to establish militant bases in towns and rural areas so that militants were in a position to cause confusion among security forces by launching simultaneous attacks in several areas.

Inadequate security personnel for counter-insurgency operations has come as an advantage to militants. So far the Centre has been making promises regarding sending additional forces.

Terrorism: Farooq's suggestion to PM
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 22 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has suggested to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, to persuade the US President, Bill Clinton, to mount pressure on Pakistan to abandon its proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr Abdullah told newsmen here today that unless the US Government mounted pressure on Islamabad it may not stop aiding militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

In reply to a question, he said "Pakistan is our main tragedy. Unless the American Government mounted pressure on Islamabad, Pakistan may not halt aiding terrorism in the State." He said Bill Clinton, during his proposed visit to India, would see for himself the extent of destruction and death Pakistan-sponsored proxy war had caused in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister said "we have only two alternatives. Either the bilateral problems have to be resolved through talks, or, in case these parleys fail, India has to be prepared for an eventual thrust against Pakistan." He said "our priority is to promote peace between India and Pakistan. But if Pakistan continue to adopt its belligerent postures, we have no other alternative but to be at war with Pakistan."

He hinted that measures were afoot to strengthen the defence mechanism and the country's defence budget during the next year was to be hiked to enable India to be ready to meet any eventuality. He said that reports indicated that Pakistan may step up militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir during the proposed visit of Bill Clinton to Delhi.

Dr Abdullah lamented over the delay in sending additional battalions of para-military forces to Jammu and Kashmir. He said teams after teams visit Kashmir where "we explain our problems." But there has been no positive response from the Centre when the threat perception had increased following added material support to the militants from across the border.

At the same time he was grateful to the Centre for having sanctioned additional helicopters for the State to enable the security forces to send "rapid deployment" to remote and hilly areas. He seemed to be a helpless person in view of delay on the part of the Centre in releasing additional funds. Referring to the ongoing general strike by the employees the Chief Minister said "we have no money. It depends on the Centre to concede he demands of the employees. Whatever funds the Centre had agreed to release will be spent on development and not wages."

He said "Rs 400 crore was required for releasing two instalments of DA and wage arrears to the employees." He said "let them continue to be on strike. It is for the Centre to understand our problems. Ours is a trouble-torn State and we expect better deal from the Centre."

Asked if there was any possibility of releasing senior leaders of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, Dr Abdullah said "we are framing charges against them. I had given them three years to propagate their views. They misused even mosques, but I kept silent." He added "when they started conspiring against the State and threatened people with elimination if they participated in the poll process, the Government had to act."

About Moulvi Iftekar Ansari's case the Chief Minister said the Government had decided to set up a judicial commission. It would be headed by a retired judge. This was the main demand of Moulvi Ansari, a former Minister for Housing, who was dropped from the Cabinet on the charge of receiving kickbacks from a firm engaged in building Sidhra satellite town. Moulvi Ansari has denied the charge. He said "we respect Moulvi Ansari who is also a religious leader. We want him to get a fair trial."

Dr Abdullah said he had instructed the Finance Ministry to take immediate measures for realising sales tax arrears from Moulvi Ansari.

The Chief Minister was critical of the red tape in Delhi. He said files regarding the release of additional funds and despatch of additional forces were shuttling across the tables in the union ministries of Finance, Home and Planning. He hoped the Centre would take care of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have suffered hardships owing to the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war.

J & K staff stir: Tarigami blames
Centre, State
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 22 — Today, on the third day of the four-day general strike by State Government employees, the CPM leader, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, MLA, accused both the State and Central governments of not keeping their promises made to the employees.

He held the Centre responsible for the current collapse in the State administration following the general strike because it had not come to the rescue of the cash-starved State. He said the Centre was found to accept the legitimate rights of the State and by denying these rights the Centre had been instrumental in generating a new crisis in a State already troubled by militancy.

Mr Tarigami blamed the State Government for having misused funds. He urged the State Government to enter into negotiations with the employees and resume normal work in the government offices and the Civil Secretariat as the people were the main sufferers of the strike.

All government offices, including the Civil Secretariat and educational institutions wore a deserted look. Most of the rooms in the Civil Secretariat had been bolted. Employees held demonstrations. Work in hospitals too was paralysed. A large number of patients left the hospitals as para-medical staff too went on a strike demanding the release of two instalments of dearness allowance and wage arrears.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, made it clear that his government was not in a position to concede the demands of the employees as it required about Rs 400 crore. Whenever the Centre released funds for meeting the commitment to the employees their demands would be fulfilled.