J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Pak troops shell Keran, Boniyar sectors
SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — At least seven persons, including four militants and an activist of the ruling National Conference, were killed in separate militancy related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday. A police spokesman said here that militants intruded into the house of Mohammad Yusuf Ganai an activist of the National Conference in Pulwama district last evening and shot him.

Most fidayeen ‘criminals’
JAMMU, Jan 5 — Who are these fidayeen who carry out suicide attacks on Army and police camps and posts? Several security and intelligence agencies have carried out an in-depth study which has been supplemented by wireless messages intercepted by the number of security agencies.

Pak troops shell Keran, Boniyar sectors
Tribune News Service and UNI

SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — At least seven persons, including four militants and an activist of the ruling National Conference, were killed in separate militancy related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

A police spokesman said here that militants intruded into the house of Mohammad Yusuf Ganai an activist of the National Conference in Pulwama district last evening and shot him.

This is the second such attack on the activists of ruling National Conference this week. A block president of the NC was killed on Sunday when he was coming out of a mosque at New Colony in Chrar-e-Sharief at Budgam.

Meanwhile, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery and mortar shelling from across the border in the Keran and Boniyar sectors last evening causing fire in the forest.

The shelling by Pak troops continued for several hours during which some trees at Boniyar caught fire. However, the fire was brought under control.

Sources said Indian troops retaliated but the damage suffered by Pakistani troops was not immediately known.

Four unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district yesterday. Two AK rifles, one sniper rifle and a pistol were recovered from the site of the encounter, the police spokesman said.

Suspected militants shot dead Fayaz Ahmad Shah, a released militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen in his house at Chhanapora here late last evening. He was shifted to a hospital, where he died.

Jehangir Ahmed was shot dead by unidentified militants when they intruded into his house at Bahatian, Thana Mandi in Rajouri district of the Jammu region last evening.

Three policemen were injured when militants hurled a grenade on a police picket at Sher Bagh in Anantnag town yesterday. A BSF jawan was injured when militants hurled a grenade on a picket of the BSF at Vilgam in Kupwara district.

The security forces have also recovered some arms and ammunition during search operation in different parts of the valley.

Most fidayeen ‘criminals’
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 5 — Who are these fidayeen who carry out suicide attacks on Army and police camps and posts? Several security and intelligence agencies have carried out an in-depth study which has been supplemented by wireless messages intercepted by the number of security agencies.

The study has revealed that most of these 'fidayeen' treated as members of suicide squads raised by Pak agencies to storm Army camps, police stations and other security units, are criminals. Most of them have been in prisons and some of them facing death sentence.

The Pakistan Government ordered their temporary release after they were recruited in different militant outfits. They were later pushed into Jammu and Kashmir in small groups.

Most of these 'fidayeen' are reluctant to carry out operations against the Indian troops. And invariably they "are drugged" before they are sent to attack an Army or police post. The drugging system was adopted when some of the 'fidayeen' started crying and pleading that in case an operation was to be carried out a big group of militants should be sent with them.

Official sources said these 'fidayeen' under the influence of drugs march into the security camps without caring for the results. The sources said at Surankot, when a small group of militants stormed the Army camp one of them did not even react to the firing by the troops.

Some of these criminals have been sent to Jammu and Kashmir with promise of large amount of money. These criminals feel it was better to die fighting Indian securitymen than die by hanging in the jails.