4 arrested for militancy links
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 16: Army has been put on heightened alert along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector after intelligence inputs about militants waiting on launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for infiltration.
Army has inputs that militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) are on the launch pads along the LoC in PoK in Uri sector where there is either no snow or very less snow due to dry weather conditions prevailing in Kashmir for last several months.
The alert has been sounded in sub-sector Rampur, Torna, Rustum, Mike where Army has reports that for last over a month in militants are concentrating on launch pads to infiltrate through these areas as in other sector like Gurez and Tangdhar there is heavy snow along the LoC.
After yesterday infiltration attempt by the JeM in Uri sector in which 5 militants of JeM who were on suicide mission to target an Army installation near the LoC in the sector were killed, the Army has increased vigil along LoC in the sector. Sources said that three more militants who were yet to infiltrate and were waiting for the boat to return and fled under the cover of darkness, are injured.
This is for the first time that the militants used boat to infiltrate through river Jhelum. In August 2011, militants used a Pneumatic boat to cross the Kishanganga River in Gurez sector but Army foiled their attempt and killed 12 militants and seized the boat.
In the meantime, security forces in entire North Kashmir are on heightened alert after JeM presence in Sopore and Handwara areas where the LeT was operating previously and has been wiped out.
Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police have established check points at various places along the National Highway and major roads. They are conducting surprise checks of vehicles and frisking of commuters. They have also intensified patrolling and operations to foil JeM designs to carry out Fidayeen attacks.
And Special Operation Group (SOG) of Police today detained four persons in separate raids in Pulwama and Handwara areas of Kashmir.
Three persons identified as Mudasir Kumar, Ajaz Kumar and Sanju Ganie all residents of Chatapora Pulwama were picked up by SOG after they raided their residences this morning. They were detained for questioning in a militancy related case.
One Fayaz Ahmad Bhat son of Wali Mohammad of Pandithpora, Langate, Handwara in North Kashmir, a tipper driver was held by the SOG two days back. He was detained for questioning over his alleged links with Hizbul Mujahideen.
In the meantime, a 43-year-old man today succumbed to injuries, 28 days after he was injured in Shopian district of South Kashmir.
On December 19 last year, Mohammad Ayoub Mir, received three bullets in his abdomen during the clashes amid an encounter between the militants and security forces at Batmuran Kellar area of the district. Two militants were killed, while a woman Beauty Jan died and over dozens of protesters were injured during the gun battle and clashes.
Mir had undergone treatment for more than 15 days at SMHS hospital and was later discharged. He passed away at his home in Chatergam today.
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