Militancy on rise in J&K after Pak coup -- Army

Militancy on rise in J&K after Pak coup -- Army
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

JAMMU, JAN 4: Militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has received a fillip after General Pervez Musharraf assumed power in Pakistan with ultras now targeting security camps and army institutions in the state, a senior army officer said today.

"Ever since Gen Musharraf took over the entire equation has changed with the Inter-Service Intelligence giving a fillip to militancy in the state," Chief of Staff, 16 Corps, Major Gen H S Kanwar told mediapersons here.

Pakistan-sponsored militancy had suffered a crushing defeat well before the Kargil intrusion, he said, adding infiltration during `Operation Vijay' had, however, consolidated their position in the state. After Musharraf took over, the ISI began engineering operations directed at security forces, police and vital installations through suicide squads, he said.

Suicide squads of the Lashker-e-Toiba attacked the civil secretariat, besides army camps in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch and Srinagar, including the brigade corps headquarters. However, the securityforces were committed to rooting out militancy from Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Doda and Kathua districts, he said. Troops shot dead 458 militants in Jammu region this year as compared to 357 in 1998. They recovered 575 rifles/pistols, 14 machine guns, 203 rocket launchers in 1999 as compared to 436 pistols/rifles, 12 machine guns and 30 rocket launchers in 1998. On the situation along the LoC, Maj Gen Kanwar said foolproof security measures had been taken to check infiltration in Jammu region.

He said 63 infiltrators had been killed along the international border and LoC in 1999 as compared to 69 in 1998, he said.

"Nearly 400 ultras are waiting to cross the international border in Jammu from Pakistan, particularly in Sialkot and Zafarwala districts where they have set up training camps," the Chief of Staff of 16 Corps said.

Militants were trying to rope in teenagers in Doda and Kishtwar areas of the Kashmir valley after paying huge money to their families, he said, claiming "this is done forcibly".

Hesaid ISI was flkooding rural and hill areas of the state with fake currency and seeking favours from locals. The move was aimed at giving a blow to the Indian economy.