Banihal (J&K), February 26
With hundreds of villages and hamlets lying cut off from the rest of the world for the past more than 10 days, as the roads are hidden under a thick cover of snow, people are now waiting for communication to get restored only when the snow melts.

Many villages in Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts have lost contact with the outside world as not only the roads are invisible but telephone lines have also snapped. There has been no electricity and drinking water supply in these areas for the past nearly one month since the first bout of snowfall.

It might take a couple of days for the bright sun to melt the snow. The civil administration has not yet responded to the alarming situation in the villages of the three districts of the Jammu region.

The political leadership as well as the officialdom has so far focused its energies on Kashmir valley, it is being alleged by the snow-hit people.

A couple of legislators, led by Power Minister, Mr Mohammad Sharief Niaz, for the first time flew over the devastated areas of Doda district yesterday only after Ms Sonia Gandhi, Congress president, had reportedly expressed displeasure over the party ministers and legislators not responding to the situation and sitting at their homes.

Moreover, the civil administration has started moving out only after receiving the reports of the prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, visiting the state tomorrow along with the Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil.

So far, the entire relief and rescue operation was being considered as the responsibility of the Army, IAF, BSF, CRPF and the ITBP etc.

Residents of the remote area of Nawapachi at 9000 ft in Kishtwar were critical of Mr Niaz and others who, they allege, did not bother to visit the devastated villages but addressed a gathering at the helipad and flew back to Jammu.

One Ishaq Ali said three bodies were lying buried under an avalanche in Nawapachi village for the past 10 days, but no one from the administration had come to dig them out. Residents of the village were now waiting for the bodies to come out only when the snow melts. Efforts of the people to dig the deep snow have proved futile.

There was no word from several other villages of Doda including, Assar, Bagar, Throne, Thathri, Chirala-Thathri, Saroor, Sarthal, Chhatroo, Dachan, Marwah, Dessa, Neel, Pogul, Paristhan and Mahumangat. Several police pickets on the heights in the terrorism-hit areas were also covered with snow.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd.), flew to various snow-hit areas today and took stock of the relief and rescue operations.

Srinagar, February 26
Nine militants were killed by security forces in different encounters and deadly RDX was seized while three persons, including two children, were injured and a CRPF vehicle was damaged in two different blasts across Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Security forces killed two militants during an encounter at Sharatpora village in the Shopian area of Pulwama district early today.

The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militants. An AK rifle and one pistol were seized from the slain militants.

Security forces gunned down a militant in the Khalla Bhat area of Surankote this afternoon during an encounter.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said that troops killed two militants when they attacked a patrol party at Jhara Wali Gali in Poonch district this morning.

One AK rifle and a pistol were seized from the deceased militants, he added.

Two militants fired at a joint patrol of the police and the Army at Jamlanmala near Mahore in Udhampur district last evening.

In the ensuing encounter lasting more than eight hours, the jawans shot dead both of them. One of them was identified as Lashker-e-Toiba commander Jamal Din, who was also an IED expert.

Two more militants of Lashker were also killed by the security forces near Gool in the same district yesterday night.

Four AK rifles and a large quantity of arms and ammunition were seized from the two encounter sites.

At least three persons, including two children, were injured in an explosion at Kawaria village in Poonch district last night. — UNI