2 Pak flying machines seized in Rajouri
Plot to blow up VIP convoys, defence installations
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 5 — The police has foiled a Pakistan plan of blowing up VIP convoys and vital security and defence installations with the seizure of two mini-flying machines. The two flying machines were found in the Kalakot forest belt of Rajouri district during a search operation launched by the police.

The Director General Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, told a crowded news conference here today that the pilotless mini-flying machines could be flown into a high security area with the help of the remote controlled device. Each machine could carry one and a half kg of RDX which could blow up a major installation.

Mr Jagat said the flying machines could gain a height of 1 km and fly at a speed of 200 km per hour. With just 600 ml of fuel each machine could fly for two hours and hit the target from a distance of 2 to 3 km.

The police chief said security agencies had received reports that Pakistani agencies had started smuggling into Jammu and Kashmir highly sophisticated weapons to boost the sagging morale of the militants. The flying machines had been fabricated by Pakistani defence experts and smuggled into the Jammu region in parts. Since Pakistani agencies had trained militants, especially foreign mercenaries, in assembling modern weapons the flying machines were assembled in the area. While some parts had the marking of Taiwan, others bore Japan and Muzaffarabad.

The police had subjected 12 suspected militants to a sustained interrogation during the past 15 days. One militant had yielded the desired information. As per his information the police carried out searches in Kalakot forest belts, including Kathia, Darne and Kanthan villages and found two flying machines having a MIG like appearance. Since the two machines bore the number two and three, the police believe that more such machines have been fabricated in the forest belts. The DGP has directed police authorities to continue the search operation in other districts, especially Poonch, Udhampur and Doda.

He said the two flying machines when fitted with high grade explosives and guided by a remote-controlled device could hit the target with total precision. He said seizure of these machines and large quantities of other weapons and ammunition from different areas of the state in recent weeks have given a major setback to the Pakistani agencies.

Mr Jagat said since the Pakistan Army and the ISI had realised that militants could not carry out operations against the Indian security forces and the VIPs they had hit upon the plan of using the flying machines with remote-control devices to destroy vital defence installations, police posts and VIP and other security convoys. During the past six months whenever the militants tried to attack security pickets or Army convoys the insurgents had suffered heavy casualties. To make up for these heavy losses Pak agencies had embarked on the process of using highly sophisticated weapons. Already militants had been using mortar guns in Rajouri.

The police chief said all security agencies have been galvanised to carry out anti-insurgency operations in order to smash the militant hideouts and recover arms dumps.

Following a large-scale destruction caused in scores of villages in the Tangdhar area of the Kupwara sector by heavy Pak shelling during the past three days, the Indian troops retaliated and damaged 10 Pak bunkers in Jeera village across Tangdhar during the past 24 hours. For the first time Pakistan-controlled television confirmed that in the Indian retaliatory fire some shops and houses were damaged.

Indian Defence Ministry sources said Pakistani troops had moved their gunners inside Jeera village so that the Indian retaliation for damaging the bunkers would also hit shops and residential houses which could be shown to international agencies.

Soon after Indian troops hit back, Pak military officers contacted United Nations Military Observers Group and lodged a protest against the Indian attack on Jeera village in which they alleged that 100 shops and 50 houses were damaged.

Reports said more than 2,000 people have fled to dense forest areas of Tangdhar during the past two days. The Pak troops fired as many as 266 rounds from small arms and pumped 45 motor shells on the Indian pickets on the Siachen glacier. Today's attack was eighth in the series.

SRINAGAR (TNS): Four civilians were wounded when Pakistani troops fired artillery shells across the Line of Control in the Kargil sector, a police spokesman said.

"In the evening two shells fired by Pak troops from across the border fell in Kargil town, resulting in the splinter injuries to four civilians, who were hospitalised," a police statement said.

Kargil town, 220 km North-East of Srinagar, has witnessed the most of the transborder shelling since May. More than 130 people have died in Kargil since then.

In an another incident on Thursday five security force personnel were wounded in a landmine explosion near Pattan town in North Kashmir, the police said.

"Today at 0945 hours a mine planted by militants beneath a bridge at Hartrath, Singpora, Pattan, went off when a security force vehicle passed that way, resulting in the injuries to five security force jawans and damage to the vehicle," the spokesman said.

Militants lobbed a grenade on a security force camp at the Varinag resort which was followed by gun shots. A security force personnel was wounded and later hospitalised.

Militants shot dead a former separatist leader and General Secretary of the Muslim United Front, Dr Gulam Qadir Wani, in his house at Bandipora in North Kashmir, a police spokesman said.

"In the evening on November 4, around 2000 hours, some militants barged into the house of Dr Gulam Qadir Wani at Arin, Bandipora, and fired indiscriminately on the residents," a police statement said.

Dr Wani's niece Ms Rehana died on the spot while Dr Wani succumbed to injuries in a hospital. Parveena, daughter and domestic servant Gulam Mohammad sustained injuries, the statement said.

"The killing of Dr Wani, noted intellectual is being widely condemned by the people of all walks of life," the statement added.

Born in a poor family Dr Wani got a Ph.D degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1972. An acclaimed writer, Dr Wani edited Jamat-e-Islami's official newspaper Azaan for long time. He was the General Secretary of the Muslim United Front before he quit the Jamat-e-Islami. Dr Wani later crossed over Pakistan. He returned from Pakistan last year.