Militants gun down Colonel, JCO
Tribune News Service and PTI

SRINAGAR, Aug 7 — A Colonel, a JCO, two jawans, and at least 14 militants were among 25 persons killed in the stepped up violence in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, while at least 10 others were injured in separate grenade explosions in the valley.

The police here said Col Balbir Singh and two jawans were killed in an ambush laid by militants at Kandi in Kupwara district early this morning. The vehicle in which Col Balbir Singh was travelling towards the divisional headquarters at Kupwara, was extensively damaged in the explosion caused by an IED planted by militants. The police said two jawans were also killed on the spot while several others were injured in the incident. Militants resorted to firing too.

The attack came close on the heels of the storming of an Army company post at Chak Nutnus in the same area a day earlier.

Seven militants, all foreign mercenaries, were killed in Shouth forests in the Kawnar Rajwar area of Kupwara district. The encounter, according to police sources, started at about 5 pm yesterday. At least three militants were killed last evening, while search for others was on in the thick forests. Later, four others hiding in the forests were killed, taking the toll to seven. Further details about the recovery of the arms and ammunition from the site of the encounter were awaited.

Two security force personnel also lost their lives in the overnight operation, the police said here this evening.

In another similar incident at least seven militants were killed in the Rafiabad area of Baramula district during last night. Reports said the security forces cordoned off the area on the receipt of information about the presence of some militants. When the search party reached the spot, they were fired upon by the hiding militants. The security forces retaliated killing at least seven of them. All of them are reported to be foreigners.

Six others were killed in separate incidents of violence across the state since yesterday, the police said here today. These included two foreign militants who were killed in an encounter with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police in Gandoh village of Doda district in the Jammu region. Militants intruded into the house of Shakeel Ahmed at Magotra in Doda district last night and shot him dead, the police said.

Two persons were killed in cross-firing between the security forces and the militants in Anantnag and Srinagar districts. Khursheed Ahmed, a civilian was killed in cross-firing at Sandu, Achchabal in Anantnag district, while an unidentified person was today killed in cross-firing at Kanharan in Srinagar.

The police has recovered the body of Fayaz Ahmad Naik, a surrendered militant at Qazigund in Anantnag district.

At least 10 persons were injured, two of them seriously when militants hurled a grenade at the general bus stand in Sopore yesterday. Two other SPOs or surrendered militants were injured at Achchabal in Anantnag district.

The assault on the Army camp in Kupwara district yesterday by ultras was part of a new strategy adopted by Pakistan to intensify militancy in Kashmir following its drubbing in Kargil, official sources here today said.

According to rough estimates, nearly 1600 militants infiltrated into the valley between May and July alone while over 1700 trained men were waiting to cross the border.

Organised attacks on security forces were being carried out with a view to demoralising the personnel and boost the morale of local militants who were lying low in the wake of Operation Vijay, they said.

While there had been an increase in the number of attacks on security personnel, including planting of improvised explosive devices on convoy routes and throwing of hand grenades on security posts, the first major organised attack was on BSF battalion headquarters residential complex near here by Lashkar-e-Toiba militants on July 13 in which four personnel including a DIG were killed.

"Militant activities have increased after Kargil and some of the militant groups are hiding in the upper ridges of the valley and trying desperately to sneak into the valley for carrying out tasks assigned to them by their masters in Pakistan," said A.S. Mangat, IG, BSF, Baramula frontier.