J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Five infiltrators killed
Jammu, September 19
As a result of measures aimed at strengthening the border management the Indian troops today killed five infiltrators who had sneaked into the Indian territory from across the LoC in Bhimber Gali in Poonch district. Reports from Poonch said that large quantities of arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Militancy to ‘escalate’
Srinagar, September 19
Militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir, which had a rise following the Agra summit, are likely to escalate further in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the USA. These activities could include an increased number of IED and grenade explosions and Fidayeen attacks. Such attacks have already claimed at least 175 lives, more than 100 of them militants, during this month so far.

Farooq visits dist headquarters
Jammu, September 19
Despite developments across the LoC occupying the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, he has been presiding over the District Development Board meetings at the district headquarters. Against the advice of security experts the Chief Minister has visited militancy-infested areas in Doda, Poonch and Rajouri during the past one week. Dr Abdullah did a similar exercise in several areas of the Kashmir valley.

Five infiltrators killed
Tribune News Service and PTI

Jammu, September 19
As a result of measures aimed at strengthening the border management the Indian troops today killed five infiltrators who had sneaked into the Indian territory from across the LoC in Bhimber Gali in Poonch district.

Reports from Poonch said that large quantities of arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Three persons, including a fire service official, were injured and a police vehicle damaged as militants caused four powerful explosions — three in Srinagar and one at Kupwara in North Kashmir, last evening, official sources said.

Two civilians were injured when a grenade, tossed by militants towards a security picket outside the Sher-e-Kashmir Medical Institute Soura, exploded after missing the target here last evening, the sources said.

Militants detonated another grenade outside a fire station at Syed Hamidpora in downtown Srinagar yesterday evening wounding an official posted there. The injured, assistant sub-inspector was hospitalised.

Militants also struck in the Hyderpora area on the outskirts of Srinagar when they lobbed a third grenade aimed at a CRPF vehicle. The grenade missed the target and exploded without causing any harm, the sources said.

A police vehicle suffered minor damages in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion at Gund-Machir in frontier district of Kupwara in North Kashmir last evening.

While no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the three grenade explosions in Srinagar, pro-Pak Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen owned responsibility for the Kupwara blast.

According to reports, Pakistani agencies had started pushing into Jammu and Kashmir fresh groups of militants in order to fill the gap that was being created after a large section of Afghan guerrillas had decided to cross back to Pakistan and be in Afghanistan to fight the possible American invasion.

The security agencies have been directed to eliminate those militants who were trying to cross over to Pakistan. These instructions are said to have been issued after senior security agency officers came to the conclusion that once these militants, especially foreign mercenaries, were allowed to return to Pakistan, they could infiltrate again after war clouds receded from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Initially there was a move to give a passage to the exfiltrators so that the state was cleared of large groups of foreign mercenaries but, later it was decided to deal firmly with these elements.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has openly disowned Lashkar e-Jabbar, which had imposed the dress code in the Kashmir valley. In its news bulletin the Pakistan television announced that the activities of Lashkar-e-Jabbar had been “designed by the Indian agencies to malign the name of the freedom fighters.”

This has seemingly given relief to the people in the Kashmir valley. Informed sources said that it was on the suggestion of Lashkar-e-Toiba leaders and those heading Jash-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen had sought a clear cut directions regarding the dress code.

Militancy to ‘escalate’
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 19
Militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir, which had a rise following the Agra summit, are likely to escalate further in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the USA. These activities could include an increased number of IED and grenade explosions and Fidayeen attacks. Such attacks have already claimed at least 175 lives, more than 100 of them militants, during this month so far.

Senior police officers here opine that the infiltration attempts from across the border in the entire Jammu and Kashmir are also likely to go up. North Kashmir district of Kupwara has witnessed more attempts of infiltration as compared to other sectors during the recent weeks. Nearly 36 infiltrators were killed by security forces last week.

Police sources claim that most of the camps providing arms training to militants in Pakistan have been closed following the US plea to Pakistan to use its air space to launch military action against Afghanistan. “Therefore, they (Pakistan) are in a hurry to pump most of the militants into the valley”, a senior police officer here claimed on the condition of anonymity, adding that infiltration is going on. The infiltration attempts are more this season, as compared to the previous season.

Militants succeeded in one of the deadliest suicide attack, killing nine police personnel and injuring 11 others on a camp of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police at Handwara in border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir on Monday night. This was the second such major attack on the SOG since 1999. At least 12 SOG personnel and two CRPF men were killed in a suicide attack on its headquarters here on December, 1999. Earlier, attacks had claimed among others the lives of DIG, BSF, at Bandipore in Baramula district in July, and that of the Defence PRO at the Badamibagh Cantt, here in November, 1999.

A week-long ‘Operation Al-Fateh’ was observed by Hizbul Mujahideen early this month which concluded on September 12. The police here claim that most of the IED and grenade explosions took place during this period. These included four IED explosions in South Kashmir. Two others took place on the strategic 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Six Army personnel were killed and 20 others injured when an IED exploded in a bus of the Army convoy at Khooni Nullha on the highway on September 6. This was followed by another IED blast in a CRPF vehicle at Lower Munda near Qazigund on the highway the same day. A CRPF personnel was killed and ten others were injured.

“Unable to fight police and security forces openly, militants have all along resorted to desperate acts like ambushes, IED explosions, suicide attacks and other cowardice acts”, a police spokesman stated here. “These killings have led to growing resentment among local population against foreign mercenaries who are masterminding these acts”, the spokesman added. Giving statistics of the killings of police personnel, the spokesman claimed that about 800 of them were killed during the decade-long militancy. Those killed included 523 officers and jawans of the police, 195 SPOs and 60 VDC (Village Defence Committee) members. More than 2300 offices and jawans of other security forces have also been killed during the period, the spokesman said.

Farooq visits dist headquarters
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 19
Despite developments across the LoC occupying the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, he has been presiding over the District Development Board meetings at the district headquarters.

Against the advice of security experts the Chief Minister has visited militancy-infested areas in Doda, Poonch and Rajouri during the past one week. Dr Abdullah did a similar exercise in several areas of the Kashmir valley. He announced the District Development Board annual plan during these meetings.

In the past the District Development Board meetings were presided over by cabinet ministers who have been installed as heads of the boards.

During these board meetings, Dr Abdullah, found time to caution the people and security agencies against Pakistani machinations. He urged security forces, especially the Army and the police, to be on the alert to foil designs of Fidayeens.

The Chief Minister advised security forces to launch result-oriented operations against militants but ensure that such operations did not cause any inconvenience to the civilians and there was no human rights violations.

He appealed to the people to remain united and vigilant against the machinations of Pakistan and the militants.

Dr Abdullah, however, accepted the advice from his security advisers and avoided holding public meetings at the district headquarters. He gave instructions to the officers during the board meetings and announced Rs 60.03 crore annual plan for Doda district, Rs 48.93 crore for Rajouri district and Rs 42 crore for Poonch district.

Despite tight security, a large number of people dared to come forward and meet the Chief Minister.