Jammu, November 29
Fencing of almost the entire 186-km Indo-Pakistan border by the BSF in the Jammu frontier has brought infiltration level to zero. This does not include the Line of Control (LoC) that stretches from Akhnoor to the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region.

Mr S.C. Vaid, Inspector-General, BSF, told media persons here today that fencing was in progress on the remaining 1-km stretch.

He said flood lighting of the border had been done on 165 km between the Kathua and Akhnoor sectors. Night-vision devices had been provided to the troops guarding the border to thwart movement of undesirable elements.

He said the situation had generally remained peaceful after declaration of ceasefire. Pakistan was engaged in improving its defences.

Mr Vaid said the developments were continuously being monitored and assessed and infiltration or exfiltration across the border had been contained.

He said the process of a dialogue between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers at different levels had been helpful in removing irritants and find amicable solutions. The farmers on both sides of the border for the first time in the history after Partition were cultivating their lands right up to the zero line.

This had helped in economic prosperity among residents of the border areas.

He said the BSF continued to fight terrorism here and succeeded in killing nine militants in 17 encounters during the year. As many as 19 AK rifles, six pistols, 62 grenades and 1861 cartridges were among the large quantity of weapons seized from terrorists.

During the year, 309 Bangladeshi and 50 Myanmar nationals had so far been arrested while trying to illegally cross over to Pakistan.

Mr Vaid said as many as 1,342 officers and men of the BSF had sacrificed their lives while fighting terrorists in J&K since 1990. Besides, 5,419 suffered grievous injuries.

Srinagar, November 29
Gunmen shot at and wounded the wife of slain Hizbul Mujahideen chief commander (operations) Abdul Majid Dar, while the mutilated body of a woman was recovered even as the security forces seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition across Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Meanwhile, two more families, comprising 13 members, surrendered before troops immediately after their return from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at Tulanga in the Uri sector today.

The spokesman said unidentified gunmen fired upon Dr Shameema Badroo, wife of slain Hizb chief commander, at her residence at Lal Nagar in the Channapora area here last evening.

She was rushed to Sri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital here where doctors stated her condition as ‘’very critical’’.

Dr Badroo, who worked with Children’s Hospital and ran a non-government organisation in the name of her husband (Majid Dar Foundation), received two bullets in her abdomen and had been put on ventilator, the doctors said.

Dar was shot dead by gunmen at Sopore on March 23, 2003, a few years after he declared a unilateral ceasefire and initiated talks with the Centre on July 24, 2000. The truce was called off within 15 days on August 8, 2000, following India’s refusal to include Pakistan in any trilateral talks over the Kashmir issue as proposed by the Hizb. — UNI

Srinagar, November 29
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti today welcomed former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s demand for reduction of troops and revocation of the “draconian laws” from the strife-torn state, saying it vindicated her party’s stand on the issues. “It is a welcome departure from his ‘bomb Pakistan’ campaign. I hope he (Dr Abdullah) will now stand by it,” Ms Mufti told a public gathering at Thajiwara in Anantnag district.

She said the PDP would always welcome any positive contribution by the NC toward resolving the Kashmir issue as the problem had been the creation of that party.

Dr Abdullah’s statement demanding revocation of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act and reduction of troops in J&K vindicated the PDP’s stand on the issue. — UNI

Srinagar, November 29
The police retrieved the body of a woman from the Jhelum here while more than 12 persons were injured in road accidents across the valley today.

The body of the woman, Hajra Begum, a resident of Nawab Bazar locality, here was pulled out from the river near Bilal Colony Bund.

Six persons were injured when the Tata Sumo in which they were travelling met with an accident in Karnah in Kupwara district.

Two persons were injured when a minibus collided with a motor cycle at Barbarshah here.

Two persons, including a woman, were injured when their car was allegedly hit by a tipper at Agrikalan Gulmarg.

A motorcyclist and his pillion rider were injured when the bike was hit by a Jeep near the University of Kashmir, Hazratbal.