25 killed in J&K
SRINAGAR, Dec 25 — Twenty-five persons, including 17 militants and six security personnel, were killed and five wounded in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.


Centre was warned of Pak ‘bases’ in Nepal
JAMMU, Dec 25 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government had sent a series of reports to the Centre, during the past one year, stating that Pakistani agencies, especially the ISI, had established bases in Nepal.

Security beefed up in Srinagar jail
SRINAGAR, Dec 25 — The security in and around Srinagar Central Jail and the airport has been further beefed up as a precautionary measure following the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane, a top police source said.

Talks premature: Panun Kashmir
JAMMU, Dec 25 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of displaced families from the valley, has dissociated itself from the recent parleys the president of Kashmir Samiti, a Delhi-based socio-cultural organisation, Mr C. L. Gadoo, had with some Hurriyat Conference leaders.

25 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, Dec 25 (PTI) — Twenty-five persons, including 17 militants and six security personnel, were killed and five wounded in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

Three police personnel, including a head constable, were killed today when militants opened fire at a police party at Beri-Sapwal in the Samba sector of the Jammu region, he said.

In a similar incident, a Special Police Officer (SPO) was killed and a head constable injured when militants opened fire on a police patrol at Qammerwari in Srinagar.

In yet another attack on police patrol by militants, an inspector and a BSF constable were killed at Sopore last evening.

Five militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Kanhama-Tangmarg, 45 km from here, last evening, the spokesman said.

Four militants were killed in an encounter with a joint team of security forces at Batpora-Kanihama in Badgam district last evening, he said, adding that a security personnel and a civilian were injured in the incident.

He said two militants were killed in an encounter at Reshipora-Kapran near Duroo in South Kashmir district of Anantnag last evening while six militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces at Chili Gandoh in Doda district yesterday.

Militants hurled a grenade at a security forces vehicle at Sumbal Bazar in Baramulla district last evening, which missed its target and exploded on road causing death to a pedestrian and hurting two others, the spokesman said.

The police found a bullet-riddled body of an unidentified person from Rangwar forests in Kupwara yesterday, he said security forces also smashed four hideouts of militants and detained two militants for questioning during the period.

The spokesman said two militants were taken into custody from Kupwara for questioning.

He said security forces smashed four militant hideouts, one each at Anantnag, Kupwara, Doda and Jammu.

Eight AK rifles, a universal machine gun, four pistols, 14 hand grenades, a grenade launcher, three wireless sets and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, the spokesman said.

Centre was warned of Pak ‘bases’
in Nepal
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 25 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government had sent a series of reports to the Centre, during the past one year, stating that Pakistani agencies, especially the ISI, had established bases in Nepal. These reports had conveyed to New Delhi that Kathmandu could be the launching pad for Pak-sponsored proxy war in various parts of India.

Senior state government officials said the Centre had ignored these reports as a result of which the hijackers of the Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu had managed to enter the aircraft with rifles and pistols. They said the reports had cautioned New Delhi that Pakistani agencies might use Nepal for their nefarious deeds and the hijacking of the plane was part of the plan.

Basing their reports on field sources in Kathmandu, state intelligence agencies had informed New Delhi that men of official agencies of Pakistan, including the ISI, had become active at the Kathmandu airport and other tourist resorts. These agents would arrange fake visas and passports for Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri militants who, over the years, have managed to cross back to Pakistan and re-enter India.

The officials said these ISI agents in Kathmandu had extended their network at the airport where senior officials of the airlines, security agencies had been befriended by them which helped the hijackers board the plane without proper security check-up.

The reports had mentioned that Pakistani agencies had established madrasas in various parts of Nepal where young Nepalese had been enrolled and later indoctrinated. These madrasas bore Hindi names like Sansthas to encourage Nepalese youth to seek admission in such schools where they were being imparted religious training in order to convert them into staunch fundamentalists.

The boys were being given free education, food, clothing and their parents were also being provided with financial assistance in the madrasas. This had allowed the Pakistani fundamentalists and rebel groups to make inroads into the Nepalese security set up, police and bureaucracy, the officials said.

Pakistani agencies had flooded Nepal with funds and this had helped Kashmiri militants and foreign mercenaries to stay in hotels. Some hotel rooms were booked round the year by the Pakistani official agencies. In addition, private houses had been acquired where militants camped and received training in handling sophisticated weapons, the officials added.

Some of the newly built mosques were being used for framing anti-India campaign. The state government had also received reports that some mosques were being used as arms and ammunition depots. These arms and explosives were being smuggled into Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and the North-East.

According to these reports, top militants have entered Jammu and Kashmir from Nepal. This has been possible because of a nexus between ISI agents and Nepalese officials. These reports, official sources said, had also conveyed to New Delhi that Kathmandu was being used as a meeting ground for Punjab and Kashmiri militants.

Security beefed up in Srinagar jail

SRINAGAR, Dec 25 (PTI) — The security in and around Srinagar Central Jail and the airport has been further beefed up as a precautionary measure following the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane, a top police source said.

The security around the jail has been beefed up as Mushtaq Ahmed Zarger, one of the militants whose release has been demanded by an anonymous caller claiming to be from the Islamic Salvation Front, is lodged here.

Zarger, a self-styled chief commander of the Al-Umer Mujahideen, was arrested by the Border Security Force on May 15, 1992, from the Sarafkadal area of downtown Srinagar along with eight top militants of the outfit.

Meanwhile, the Srinagar airport was put on maximum alert today following the hijacking of the plane.

A top ranking police officer said security personnel at the airport had been put on maximum alert and all passengers were being subjected to thorough frisking and other security checks.

UNI adds from Jammu: Mushtaq Ahmed Zarger, alias Mushtaq Latram had been a terror in the Kashmir valley in the early 90s.

He was associated with several outfits which demanded independence to Kashmir. Initially, Latram was working with the Al-Fateh outfit in the late 80s. Later, he joined the Al-Barad. In the early 90s, he became the chief of the Al-Umar outfit, which was a part of the Hurriyat Conference.

Latram, now around 35 years, hails from Saraf-Kadal, in the old city. He is facing trial under TADA and has been kept in the Central Jail, Srinagar, since April this year. He was earlier in the Kot-Bhalwal Jail, Jammu.

Sources said Latram was involved in several militancy-related activities, including murder of many people.

Talks premature: Panun Kashmir
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 25 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of displaced families from the valley, has dissociated itself from the recent parleys the president of Kashmir Samiti, a Delhi-based socio-cultural organisation, Mr C. L. Gadoo, had with some Hurriyat Conference leaders.

On the opening day of the two-day meeting of its working committee, Panun Kashmir leaders condemned any move by the samiti to discuss vital geo-political issues with any individual or organisation without having the mandate of the people.

The working committee, which was chaired by its convener, Dr Agnishekhar, criticised the attempt made by Mr Gadoo to rope in Panun Kashmir in order to "give credibility to his moves."

It cautioned the displaced families against the "hobnobbing of these self-styled leaders with those whose ideology had been in conflict with Panun Kashmir". It said "we are ready to hold dialogue with genuine representatives of various communities" but the time was not ripe in view of the "serious turn the militancy has taken in the post Kargil period in Jammu and Kashmir." It said opening a dialogue with Hurriyat leaders was premature as they had given no indication of change in their ideology.