4 GREF men, 6 militants killed
JAMMU, July 20 — In stepped up attacks on the security forces militants killed five security personnel and injured four others in two separate incidents in the interior of Poonch and Mendhar areas today.


J&K police to keep up heat on Mujahideen
SRINAGAR, July 20 — The Jammu & Kashmir Police will continue its offensive against Pakistan-based Mujahideen, declares Mr Gurbachan Jagat, DGP, saying that "we will go after them and get them".

Strengthen security in J&K: BJP
JAMMU, July 20 — After intelligence inputs that over 1,500 foreign mercenaries have crossed over to the state recently and another 1500-1800 are poised to infiltrate into this region, the BJP has demanded the strengthening of security in the entire state, especially in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri which have become the major routes of mass infiltration from across the border.

Farooq distributes relief cheques
JAMMU, July 20 — Noted film actor Nana Patekar yesterday accompanied the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah on his visit to Leh. They along with other dignitaries visited the houses of martyrs of Operation Vijay and cheques of Rs 5 lakh each were distributed among the widows of the war heroes — Havildar Ishey Tondup, Sepoy Tsering Dorje, Sepoy Tondop Dorje and Sepoy Sonam Gonbo by the Chief Minister.

4 GREF men, 6 militants killed
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 20 — In stepped up attacks on the security forces militants killed five security personnel and injured four others in two separate incidents in the interior of Poonch and Mendhar areas today.

Reports said that militants opened indiscriminate fire on GREF personnel engaged in construction of roads in Shindra area of Poonch, in which four technicians were killed and one junior engineer injured. Those killed were Mansa Ram, Anil Kumar, Banarasi Das of Uttar Pradesh and Philip Matthew of Kerala.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the area. However, the militants escaped into the nearby forest.

In another incident militants attacked a security picket in Gursai village in Mendhar with rockets. A soldier was killed and three others wounded in the attack.

Official sources said during the past one week militants had stepped up attacks on security personnel and counter-insurgents.

Two days ago militants attempted to blow up the district police lines in Budgam in Kashmir valley with rockets fired from a close range.

Militants also attacked the house of a police officer at Chrar-e-Sharief but his security guard retaliated.

In a swift counteraction the Army and the police killed six militants in a joint operation today. Operations were launched at two places in the Mandi belt of Poonch. Some of the militants killed are believed to have been involved in the killing of four GREF men in Poonch last night.

A large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the slain militants.

In another operation in Arnas area of Udhampur district one militant was killed by the police.

J&K police to keep up heat on
Mujahideen
From Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 20 — The Jammu & Kashmir Police will continue its offensive against Pakistan-based Mujahideen, declares Mr Gurbachan Jagat, DGP, saying that "we will go after them and get them".

In an exclusive interview with The Tribune group of newspapers, Mr Gurbachan Jagat agreed that after their crushing defeat in the Kargil, the foreign mercenaries and militants would attempt to step up their activities in the state.

"We have several major challenges ahead in the next couple of months. After the military operations began in Kargil, the Army was withdrawn from internal security duty. Before the new paramilitary forces could come in and settle, the militants tried to step up their activities. A couple of carnages, including that of Uri, were the result of this vacuum in the security set up," Mr Jagat said.

The historic Amarnath yatra, which starts on July 21 at Jammu, the Independence Day celebrations on August 15 and the coming Lok Sabha elections in the state on September 4, 11 and 17 are the immediate challenges before the security forces.

"The foreign mercenaries and Pakistan intelligence agencies may try to disrupt the Amarnath Yatra, ask militants to hold functions on August 14 to celebrate Independence Day of Pakistan, besides coercing or threatening people to boycott our Independence Day next day. They would also make every endeavour to create terror for a low polling in the Lok Sabha elections so as to boost the sagging morale of militants," Mr Jagat said.

The Director-General of Police said that the state police was fully prepared to ensure peaceful conduct of the Amarnath Yatra from July 21 to August 27. "For the Lok Sabha elections, we have requested the Central Government for more paramilitary forces. He confirmed that all 58 battalions of the Indian Army on internal security duty in the state had been withdrawn immediately after military operations began in Kargil.

"We got only 20 battalions of paramilitary forces in return," he added.

Mr Jagat, an IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, says that when he took up the present assignment two years ago, the Jammu and Kashmir police was in bad shape. For example, there are seven police stations in Kupwara district but there was not even a single vehicle available with them. In Baramula, there were only seven vehicles available for 14 police stations in the district. The police had only ancient .303 rifles. The telecommunication facilities were almost non-existent.

"Things have changed now. We have self-loading rifles and even AK-47s. We have also gone in for the latest Motorola radio communication facilities. The vehicle position has improved considerably. From the existing strength of 38,000 men, it is now 52,000 with another 10 new battalions in the pipeline," adds Mr Jagat.

He, however, laments red-tapism coming in the way of modernisation of the state police . Last year, the Union Government sanctioned a special Rs 200-crore Jammu and Kashmir police action plan.

The first instalment of Rs 43 crore was released. Of this, what the police got was just Rs 20 crore. The second instalment of Rs 80 crore was held up as the Union Government wanted a utilisation certificate of the first instalment.

"How can we furnish a utilisation certificate for Rs 43 crore when we got only about Rs 20 crore?," asks Mr Jagat.

He discloses that work on setting up 140 observation police posts along the border throughout the state has also been held up. These posts have the sanction of the Union Government. Mr Gurbachan Jagat denies that there has been any political pressure on the state police.

"We have an excellent Chief Minister. He has never intervened in the functioning of the department. He is rather very cooperative and a great help in getting our schemes and plans approved.

Talking about the general grievance of the defence authorities in general and the Army in particular that no action was initiated against those harbouring or supporting foreign mercenaries and militants, Mr Jagat said that during the Kargil operations, information was received about some "informers" of foreign mercenaries and militants in the Turtuk area.

"We immediately conducted raids and seized 25 AK-47s, one light machinegun (LMG), one medium machinegun (MMG), two rocket launchers (RL), two pistols and about 8 kg of ammunition. We also made 30 arrests. Whenever we get any information, we verify and take appropriate action," he added.

About the problems created by the deployment of multiplicity of paramilitary forces for internal security duty, Mr Jagat said there was "complete cooperation" among all agencies. The BSF had been deployed in the Kupwara sector while the ITBP was looking after Leh side.

On a request from the Army authorities, the police also conducted special operations in the Kargil-Dras-Batalik sector. Anti-militant operations were conducted by special operation groups. There were more than 100 such groups throughout the state conducting their operations successfully. In a special drive,the police had recruited more than 1200 youths from border districts and parts of the valley.

A Police Housing Corporation had been set up which was in the process of constructing 500 houses each at Jammu and Srinagar. A police school was working at Jammu and another such school would soon be set up at Srinagar.

J&K LI — force that did wonders
From Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 20 — Remember Naib Subedar Bana Singh, the last Indian soldier to be decorated with Param Vir Chakra for recapturing the Qaid-e- Azam post at Siachen Glacier in June, 1987? He is from the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, commonly known in military parlance as JAK LI.

Though Naib Sub Bana Singh (now Subedar Major) is from 8 JAK LI, another Battalion, 12 JAK LI has given an excellent account of its bravery and expertise in high-altitude mountain fighting.

And for 12 JAK LI, the first few to get unit citations from the Chief of the Army Staff during the Kargil battle, it was a chance happening that took them back to the battlefield after its full tenure at Siachen Glacier.

After finishing its operations at Siachen Glacier in April and May this year, the battalion was to take up its new position in the union Capital. In fact, the advanced party had reached New Delhi and started assuming charge of its new assignment, when the remaining strength got caught in Kargil district.

"The battalion was ordered to stay back in Batalik sector as the infiltration from across the border came to be known," says Col R.K. Singh, Commandant of the the JAK LI centre, here.

In an exclusive interaction with The Tribune group of newspapers, Col R.K. Singh and his Deputy Commandant, Lieut-Col J.S. Mangat, said the battalion did a commendable job in the Batalik sector.

"It was 12 JAK LI, which after its first successful assault operation between June 7 and 9 provided a firm base for the Indian defence forces to throw back infiltrators from our territory," they said.

The battalion continues to hold its fort in the Batalik sector.

After initial probing through regular patrols, the battalion mounted its first major assault on feature 5203 in the Batalik sector on June 7.

The attack was mounted north of the Sindh river to capture the immediate dominating heights. It was during this operation that Capt Amol Kalia along with his Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), Subedar Bahadur Singh, in an exemplary display of valour, bravery and courage, made the supreme sacrifice. Besides them, 12 other ranks (ORs) also laid down their lives. An equal number of men and officers from the battalion were injured.

The success at point 5209 was the first major triumph for the Indian forces in the Batalik sector.

With intruders defending this feature from an indisplaceable position, the gallant men of the battalion mounted an all-out offensive on the night of June 29 and continued its march forward till the feature was evicted off all intruders. One officer —Lieut Keising Clifford Nangurung of Meghalaya — and eight other ranks gave their lives so that their fellowmen could recapture the feature. One JCO and 10 to 12 other ORs were wounded in the operation.

At least six of the 23 men and officers lost by the battalion in the Batalik sector operations were from the Kashmir valley.

Five of them were Muslims and one Sikh boy from Handwara tehsil in Kupwara district, whose body is still to be recovered, belonged to the valley. They are Rifleman Shaukat Hussain (Choki Bal), Lance Naik Ghulam Mohammed Khan (Sopore), Lance Naik Nazir Ahmed Khan and Naik Dost Mohammed Khan (both from Kupwara) and Rifleman Ishtiaq Ahmed (Kishtwar).

Others to die in the Batalik sector from 12 JAK LI are Hav Abdul Karim (Udhampur), Hav Daler Singh Bau (Palanwala, Akhnoor), NK Chetan Prasad ( Nepal), Lance Havildar Jugal Kishore (Haveli, Poonch) Lance Naik Surjit Singh (Samba), Lance Naik Mohammed Aslam (Mendhar, Poonch) Rifleman Mohammed Farid (Budal, Rajouri), Rifleman Rattan Chand (Samba), Hav Kartar (Badharwa), Hav Rajinder Singh (Kathua), Nk Pawan Kumar (Hira Nagar, Kathua) L. Nk Liaqat Ali (Mendhar, Poonch) L. Nk Darshan Lal (Jammu), Rifleman Abdul Salam Dhar (Anantnag) and Rifleman Tarsem Lal (RS Pura).

Rifleman Shabir Ahmed from Anantnag district died in medium machine gun fire in the Rajouri sector while he was returning to his camp after finishing his sentry duty. He belonged to 1 JAK LI.

It is this battalion to which belongs Major M.K Joshi, a younger brother of Major S.K. Joshi of 18 Garhwal Rifles, who had led his company to a dramatic triumph in Dras sector.

Col R.K. Singh said JAK LI draw their strength from its men. Fifty per cent of the ranks come from Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, while the remaining 50 per cent berths are shared by Sikhs, Hindus, Ladakhis and others, all from Jammu and Kashmir.

Of the 14 units it has, three are engaged in Counter Insurgency (CI) duty in the state while six others are attached with Operation Vijay.

Both 4 and 8 JAK LI combined have killed more than 30 foreigner mercenaries, Afghan and other foreign militants from across the border during the past one year.

Strengthen security in J&K: BJP
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 20 — After intelligence inputs that over 1,500 foreign mercenaries have crossed over to the state recently and another 1500-1800 are poised to infiltrate into this region, the BJP has demanded the strengthening of security in the entire state, especially in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri which have become the major routes of mass infiltration from across the border.

Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, Vice-President, state BJP, said internal security situation was quite weak in the entire state and there was a possibility that militants may strike at many places in the state.

Accusing the ruling National Conference government of not being interested in the return of normalcy to the valley, he said the party leaders and MLAs had connivance with the militant groups who were thriving on their support.

He warned that the repetition of a Kargil-like situation in Poonch-Rajouri areas may take place if the state government would not strengthen the security.

Referring to a statement of Mr Abdul Qayoom Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied-Kashmir (PoK), Mr Chander Mohan Sharma said while participating on a discussion on Pakistan Television on Kargil, recently the former Prime Minister of PoK had said Pakistan would be trying to capture Poonch and if it does so, it would be very easy to win the entire state.

Farooq distributes relief cheques
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 20 — Noted film actor Nana Patekar yesterday accompanied the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah on his visit to Leh. They along with other dignitaries visited the houses of martyrs of Operation Vijay and cheques of Rs 5 lakh each were distributed among the widows of the war heroes — Havildar Ishey Tondup, Sepoy Tsering Dorje, Sepoy Tondop Dorje and Sepoy Sonam Gonbo by the Chief Minister.

Nana Patekar was introduced to the Army and Air Force officers and jawans at the airport to show gesture of solidarity with the defence forces.

Speaking to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister assured every possible help and assistance from the state government for their welfare. He also assured them of employment to one member of the family of the war heroes. He also distributed relief items donated by Batra Hospital, New Delhi, to the migrants who were affected by Pakistani shelling.