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Chain of encounters in Kulgam, Tral
10 militants, SPO killed in south Kashmir

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 24: At least seven militants had got killed by this evening as security forces had launched a major combing operation in Kulgam area of south Kashmir while as three more militants -- including two "district commanders" -- got killed in separate operations in Tral and Anantnag. Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a Special Police Official (SPO) in Achhabal locality. Meanwhile, security forces averted a major tragedy as an IED was recovered from Lal Chowk, hub of the commercial activity in the capital city.

On the basis of information that a large number of militants had gathered at different places in Kulgam area, troops of Victor Force, BSF and Special Operations Group (SOG) launched a major combing operation in Divsar localities late last night. Troops of the full brigade of 2-Sector Rashtriya Rifles, BSF 01 Bn and SOG Kulgam fanned out in a vast area and zeroed in on the possible hideouts of militants. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that militants made desperate attempts to escape and a chain of encounters occurred at Kond Nageenpora near Panzgam Naar, Lankarpumbai and Ak-hal. While as two militants got killed at Kond Nagnipora, at least 5 militants had been eliminated at Lankarpumbai by late this evening.

In the daylong encounter, which was in progress even at midnight, 12 residential houses got destroyed at Lankarpumbai. The encounters were also going on at Nigeenpora and Ak-hal where at least four militants were trapped. Even as officials claimed that none of the security forces or civilians had got killed in the chain encounters, independent reports were not available till late this evening.

The entire area between Kulgam and Qazigund remained disturbed today as troops extended the combing operation to several villages in Kond as also Yari Khushipora, Chowgam, Divsar and even Brinel Lammer in the south.

Nothing could be ascertained regarding the identification of the militants killed or the outfits involved. However, unconfirmed reports said that most of them were Pakistani and local cadres of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Mujahideen-e-Al Badr. It was after a pretty long time that a major encounter between militants and security forces took place in the relatively calm Kulgam area of south Kashmir. A minor clash had earlier occurred on October 4 last at Lankarpumbai when militants had attacked the polling party taking the ballot boxes back to Anantnag.

Official sources said that during last night, troops of RR 36 Bn of Victor Force, alongwith Anantnag police and SOG raided a militant hideout at Sichen near Dyalgam, about 7 km from Anantnag town. In a brief encounter one foreign militant got killed who was later identified as Abu Hurraira of Pakistan. Officials claimed that he was the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s "district commander" for Anantnag. One AK-56 rifle and a hand grenade were claimed to have been recovered from the spot.

Yet another encounter between militants and security forces took place at Faqeer Mohalla of Tral town at 2230 hours during last night when residents informed BSF 34 Bn that a number of heavily-armed militants were present at the house of a protected activist of the ruling National Conference (NC) who also happens to be a Forester in the State Wildlife Department. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as soon as troops raided the house of Ghulam Ahmed Rishi, two militants jumped out of the wall and opened fire. In the resultant encounter, both of them got killed. They were identified as Hizbul Mujahideen’s dreaded "district commander" Mohammad Assadullah Bhat alias Asghar (radio code Ismail) S/o Abdus Sattar Bhat resident of Kamla Boochoo and Mussain Bin Omair resident of Galian, Kherian, Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

One BSF soldier, namely Ranjit Singh got injured in the encounter. A large quantity of arms and ammunition including two AK-56 rifles, one pistol, two wireless sets, one hand grenade, 11 rifle grenades, one tape recorder, two transistors and a camera were recovered from the spot.

Hometown of the senior National Conference leader and sitting Lok Sabha Member Ali Mohammad Naik, Tral observed a bandh today over the death of the two militants. As for Asgar, reports said that he had got training in Pakistan in 1989 and he had been prominantly active in Tral area for the last ten years. His death was being viewed as a veritable setback for Hizbul Mujahideen and a major achievement for security forces.

DIG Anantnag-Pulwama Raja Aijaz Ali confirmed that Ghulam Ahmed Rishi had been taken into custody by BSF alongwith his two PSOs while as the third one was also to be arrested. All the three, he said, were from Security Wing of J&K Police. He said that the protected person as also his guards would be interrogated so as to know how the militants had stayed at the house of a protected person.

Reports from Tral said that security forces today conducted a major combing operation in over a dozen villages. However, there were no reports of any arrests, encounters or seizures till late this evening.

Reports from Budgam said that a jawan of RR 35 Bn died of his own misfire when he was cleaning his rifle at his camp at Mujpathri, Khansahib.

Sources said that late last night, militants captured an SPO, namely Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din S/o Ahad Khan of Imoo, Achhabal and later shot him dead.

Meanwhile, one Syed Arshid Hussain S/o Syed Hussain of Nabdipora Zadibal, succumbed to injuries at hospital. He was a former militant who had been fired upon by unidentified gunmen at his shop in Alamgari Bazar last week.

Reports from Kupwara said that police conducted a raid at a militant hideout at Farkian forest area and recovered two disposable rocket-launchers, 5 RPG rockets, 18 grenades and 5 kg of explosive.

Here in the capital city, BSF 22 Bn recovered an IED which had been planted by militants early this morning near Clock Tower in Lal Chowk. The IED was removed by Police Control Room and defused by bomb disposal squad.

India claims evims evidence of Pak plan to step up terrorism
Lashkar activities checked: Pak envoy

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI Nov 23: The Government claims to have obtained "irrefutable" evidence with regard to Islamabad’s plans to step up cross-border terrorism to destabilise conditions in different parts of India, particularly Jammu and Kashmir.

A document prepared by the Government has highlighted the involvement of Pakistan’s various agencies and organisations, particularly the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), in attempts to "keep the pot boiling" in Kashmir and to aid and abet secessionist and terrorist activity "on this side of the Line of Control(LoC).

Official sources divulged that inputs for the document had been provided by various security and intelligence agencies, including the J&K CID. The document has made a pointed reference to what it has termed as "active involvement" of Pakistan’s regular forces, including its elite special regiments, in aid of the anti-India militants and mercenaries.

The document says that these forces, in Kargil, had actively taken shelter behind a smokescreen of mujahideen activity. According to the document, there is fresh anticipation in the militant ranks that this dovetailing of efforts would continue, and this encourages the various militant outfits to persist in their efforts, regardless of the cost. The document also says that the continuing artillery barrage across the Line of Control (LoC) in several areas, as also sporadic attempts to seize territory, helps the militants engaged in the "war" by diverting forces away from counter insurgency responsibilities.

Apparent attempt of the new breed of militants and foreign mercenaries in Jammu and Kashmir, it is pointed out, is to remove all vestiges of Sufi Islam and establish the dominance of "Sunni Islam". The Markaz-ul-Dawa-ul-Irshad in Pakistan is said to be the main body engaged in the task of effecting such a change.

According to the document, the nexus between the Markaz, the Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan and the military-bureaucratic apparatus provides a solid underpinning to advance this philosophy. Strategically, Jammu and Kashmir "is vital for them as the gateway to the bigger prize, namely, India". Tactically, the guiding elements are the ISI and the Taliban, with foreign militant outfits such as Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba acting as the main sword arm.

Meanwhile, Pakistan envoy to India, Mr Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, has rejected India’s charge of cross-border terrorism. "Pakistan does not accept India’s charge of cross-border terrorism", he said in a media interview. Answering questions on the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s recent conference at Muridke, some 30 km from Lahore, Mr Qazi was quoted as saying: "People may make claims in Muridke, but they are not allowed to indulge in cross-border activity".

That Islamabad was not prepared to proceed against the outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba became amply evident with the reported observation of Mr Qazi: "Such meetings have been taking place at Muridke for several years now, people from all over the world get together, they make speeches on one kind or another which do not reflect Government policy. We have to allow people who express views with which we may differ, to also get together, it is part of democracy".

The interview carried by The Asian Age, at the same time, brought to the fore yet another significant standpoint of Pakistan vis-à-vis the Lashkar-e-Toiba. Drawing a parallel between the Lashkar-e-Toiba and India’s Sangh Parivar, Mr Qazi was reported to have stated that such organisations might have free play in democracies but "do not necessarily reflect Government policies".

While regretting that India had decided to make cross-border activity a pre-condition for the talks with Pakistan, Mr Qazi was quoted as having commented: "If you make years old complaints against each other as a precondition for the dialogue process, in effect you abort the dialogue altogether". Pakistan’s foreign policy, according to Mr Qazi, has not changed and it remains "committed" to all the agreements it had signed with India, including the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen Parvez Musharraf, Mr Qazi has emphasised, is "committed" to the dialogue and has made the necessary gestures in his very first address to the nation. Mr Qazi described as "invidious and disingenuous" India’s efforts to draw a distinction between the role of the Nawaz Sharief Government and the Army in the Kargil conflict. "It is not for another country to try and make these distinctions", the paper quoted Mr Qazi as having emphasised.