Attempt on life of NC leader
SRINAGAR, Nov 19 — Militants made an attempt on the life of a National Conference leader, tried to abduct another person and torched the residence of a special police officer in the Kashmir valley since last evening.

Joint action plan to check militancy
JAMMU, Nov 19 — A joint action plan was evolved for smashing the hideouts of the militants and for checking the activities of Pakistan-aided mercenaries at a coordination conference of Core group of unified headquarters at Nagrota, 10 km from here, today.

University teachers hold dharna
JAMMU, Nov 19 — Work in Jammu University was paralysed today when teachers belonging to different faculties staged a dharna in front of the administrative block.

PNB officers stage dharna
JAMMU, Nov 19 — Officers of Punjab National Bank staged a dharna in front of the regional camp office here today in protest against the suspension of the Assistant Manager.

2 women buried alive
SRINAGAR, Nov 19 — Two women were killed and an equal number seriously injured when a portion of the rock came crashing down while they were digging earth in Anantnag district, official sources said today.

Attempt on life of NC leader

SRINAGAR, Nov 19 (PTI) — Militants made an attempt on the life of a National Conference leader, tried to abduct another person and torched the residence of a special police officer (SPO) in the Kashmir valley since last evening.

Two militants were arrested and a hideout smashed by the security forces during an anti-militant campaign in the valley yesterday, an official spokesman said here today.

He said militants fired at the residence of Mr Ghulam Rasool Malik, block president of the National Conference, at Bindroo in Kokernag area of Anantnag district last night.

The guard posted in the house returned the fire foiling the designs of the militants. No damage was caused in the shootout.

The spokesman said militants made an attempt to kidnap Pintooji from his house at Chandrigam in Ashmuqam area of Anantnag last night.

However, police personnel posted in the area for protecting the minority community, frustrated the attempt. The police party fired several rounds in the air but no casualty was reported.

Militants set ablaze the house of a SPO, Abdul Aziz, at Quil Muqam in Bandipora area of Baramula last night.

No one was hurt in the arson, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the security forces apprehended a militant, Firdous Ahmad Bhat, from Arampora-Tarzoo in Sopore area of Baramula last night. An assault rifle, four magazines and 95 rounds of ammunition were recovered from him.

Another militant associated with the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was nabbed by the security forces and two pistols, two magazines and 10 rounds were recovered during search operations at Noorbagh in Srinagar last night.

Security personnel smashed a militant hideout at Dunigah in Samba area of Jammu and seized six pistols, 12 rifle grenades, nine improvised explosive devices, nine detonators, a silencer, two bayonets and two kits containing first aid.

The security forces today conducted house-to-house searches in Batmaloo, Rawalpora, Kanihama, Yachpora and Balhama areas of Srinagar today.

Five youths, moving around in suspicious circumstances, were taken into custody for questioning, official sources said.

Joint action plan to check militancy
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 19 — A joint action plan was evolved for smashing the hideouts of the militants and for checking the activities of Pakistan-aided mercenaries at a coordination conference of Core group of unified headquarters at Nagrota, 10 km from here, today.

The conference which was presided over by Major-General H.S. Kanwar emphaised the need for better coordination among different security and intelligence agencies so that specific operations could be launched against the militants. The meeting was attended by senior civil, police, Army and BSF officers. Senior functionaries of the IB were also present.

The conference had been convened to review the security situation in the state particularly in the Jammu region. Officers belonging to different security agencies were urged to improve coordination and carry out joint operations for uprooting militants from their hideouts.

Officers expressed concern over the continued infiltration from across the border and said that even if the rate of ingress had decreased still it created a problem as it was difficult later to flush out insurgents from the inhabited localities.

The security arrangements on and round the railway track and railway stations between Jammu and Pathankot were discussed briefly and the Inspector-General Police, Mr Kuldeeep Khuda is said to have informed that there was need for fencing the railway stations to check intrusion by anti-national elements, lighting the entire 110 km track between Jammu and Kathua and proper accommodation for the security personnel on duty on the track.

The conference stressed the need for carrying out joint operations and for each operation there was need for specific inputs from intelligence agencies and a perfect rapport between the Army and the civil administration.

Paramilitary forces’ pullout in phases
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 19 — The Union Home Ministry has agreed to carry out withdrawal of 29 battalions of paramilitary forces, which were sent to Jammu and Kashmir during the Kargil conflict, in a phased manner. Earlier, the ministry had ordered pullout of 20 battalions of the paramilitary forces in one go.

This assurance was given by the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to the state team led by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, during a recent high-level meeting held in New Delhi. Highly placed informed sources said the Centre refused to accept the demand for sending additional forces to the state for tackling militants who had stepped up subversive violence.

The sources said the meeting mainly focussed attention on the fiscal crisis in Jammu and Kashmir and the state team received promises that additional funds, including part of the security related expenses, would be released after the three-member committee discussed the financial requirements of the government.

In fact, the meeting had been convened to discuss the latest disturbing security scenario, the result of heavy infiltration of foreign mercenaries from across the border. The state team had expected that additional forces would be sent to the state to cover all those areas where Pak trained militants and foreign mercenaries had resurfaced after the Kargil conflict had ended in July last.

Instead of helping the state with additional forces emphasis was laid on better management and coordination among the different security and intelligence agencies. Those who watched the Delhi deliberations from close quarters feel the Centre had again failed to understand the gravity of the situation following directions given by Pak agencies to foreign mercenaries to sneak into the cities and towns in the state and carry out armed and grenade attacks on vital government installations.

What seems to worry the state authorities is the success the militants have achieved during the post-Kargil period in penetrating the high-security zones and attacking security pickets and camps. To them, the killing of more than 200 security personnel during the past 140 days is a matter of great concern when the rebels could not carry out such a large-scale killing of men of the Army, the BSF and the police during and prior to the Kargil conflict. According to the state government data not more than 87 security personnel were killed by the militants between February and May last.

During the past four and a half months militants carried out 290 grenade, rocket and bomb explosions against 87 between February and May and exchanged fire with the security forces on 530 occasions with the result over 400 civilians were killed during the past 140 days.

The rate of infiltration from across the LoC had witnessed marked increase during the past four months. For the first time the Pak agencies have started concentrating on the 187 km-long international border in Jammu sector for pushing into the state groups of rebels.

No doubt during the past four and a half months more than 500 militants were killed in different parts of the state, especially on the LoC, where there has been no let up in militancy related violence. In the light of these developments the state team had gone to Delhi with the hope that additional forces would be sanctioned for the state to check the activities of the Pak trained militants.

The sources said in the wake of the refusal of the Union Home Ministry to send additional battalions of paramilitary forces to the state it had become imperative for the Army authorities to involve troops in counter-insurgency operations on a large-scale.

Another issue that seems to have caused concern among the state authorities is the rapid surfacing of foreign mercenaries in posh areas in and around Srinagar city. The Army carried out operations against them in the Budgam belt but before the troops swung into action the rebels had managed to escape. And after the troops withdrew the foreign mercenaries equipped with sophisticated weapons and wireless system re-entered the sanitised areas. Reports indicate the foreign mercenaries were fortifying themselves before they could carry out multipronged armed attacks on vital government installations. An attempt is being made to target Jammu city also.

University teachers hold dharna
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 19 — Work in Jammu University was paralysed today when teachers belonging to different faculties staged a dharna in front of the administrative block.

Amidst sloganeering the protesters demanded implementation of the career advancement scheme, release of arrears following grade revision and two instalment of dearness allowance.

The dharna was organised by the Jammu University Teachers’ Association. The association president, Mr Virender Gupta, said the teachers would resort to an indefinite strike in case their demands were not accepted by December 1, 1999.

The General Body would finalise the nature of the agitation, he explained.

Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, secretary, Kashmir University Teachers Association, said the faculty members of both universities in the state were united in their decision to launch a struggle to ensure their demands were met.

PNB officers stage dharna
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 19 — Officers of Punjab National Bank staged a dharna in front of the regional camp office here today in protest against the suspension of the Assistant Manager.

The officers shouted slogans against the Management. They threatened to intensify the agitation in case the suspension was not revoked.

2 women buried alive

SRINAGAR, Nov 19 (PTI) — Two women were killed and an equal number seriously injured when a portion of the rock came crashing down while they were digging earth in Anantnag district, official sources said today.

The incident occurred at Ashmuqam village, 80 km from here, last evening, they said.

Locals rescued two women while two were buried alive.