Jawan among 10 killed in J&K
SRINAGAR, July 11 — Ten persons, including three counter-insurgents and a security jawan, were killed and four others wounded in stepped-up violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Govt advised not to ceasefire
JAMMU, July 11 — Indian Defence Authorities have conveyed to the Government of India that the troops, engaged in clearing Kargil heights of Pakistani intrusions, should not be told to ceasefire till all areas were regained.

"Anti-militancy operations to continue in J&K"
SRINAGAR, July 11 — Lt-Gen Avtar Singh, Director-General, Rashtriya Rifles, here yesterday ruled out any "drastic changes" in the operations against the militants in Kashmir following his appointment as the Security Adviser to the state Government.

For them life is more than a game
MINJI (KARGIL) July,11 — Pink-cheeked girls chirp shyly in a corner about school lessons and games while the boys play around boisterously.

Civilian cremated with military honours
JAMMU, July 11 — Setting aside conventions one civilian, Kamlesh Kumar (30), was today cremated in his Hakal village near here with full military honours.

29 top cops shifted in J&K
SRINAGAR, July 11 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered the transfer of 29 senior police officers, including chiefs of the Kashmir and Jammu regions, while two Inspectors-General were promoted to the rank of Additional Director-General.

Troops should cross LoC: Swamy
JAMMU, July 11 — The Janata Party has favoured that the Indian troops should be asked to cross the Line of Control in the Kargil and Dras sectors to snap the supply line to the infiltrators still holding to their posts in some areas.

Jawan among 10 killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, July 11 (PTI) — Ten persons, including three counter-insurgents and a security jawan, were killed and four others wounded in stepped-up violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Security forces arrested two militants and repulsed an attack on their post, while militants set ablaze a panchayat building and set off a blast in the state during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

A security jawan lost his life when militants ambushed a patrol at Duraswani in the Lolab area of Kupwara last evening, the police said, adding the security forces retaliated but the militants escaped.

Security forces shot dead a militant, Imtiyaz Ahmad Tak of Bhaderwah, and wounded three others in an encounter at Jakhadi village in Udhampur district last night, the spokesman said, adding the injured militants managed to slip away.

An AK assault rifle, eight grenades and some ammunition were recovered from the militant.

Militants shot dead three counter-insurgents associated with the Ikhwan outfit in the Bandipora area of Baramulla today.

The victims — Bashir Ahmad Khan, Mir Khan and Ghulam Mohammad Reshi — were kidnapped and later shot dead by the ultras, he said.

The spokesman said a teenaged girl, Shabina, was killed and another person, Ishtiaq Khan, was wounded in a powerful blast in Lashtiyal forest area of Kupwara today.

The explosion took place when Ishtiaq found the device and fiddled with it, he said.

Two masked militants shot dead Safiya at Shahdara village in Rajouri today.

Militants also killed Nazir Ahmad at Sildhar in Mahore area of Udhampur last night.

The police recovered the body of Habibullah from Kulgam forest area in Anantnag district last evening. Habibullah was hanged to death, the spokesman said, adding it was suspected that militants were responsible for the murder.

The body of Qasim was recovered from Kolhoi Bahak in Pahalgam area of Anantnag last evening. Qasim had been missing since the past one month.

Militants set ablaze a panchayat building at Khiram in Bijbehara area of Anantnag last evening.

Militants triggered another blast in front of the house of Mohammad Shafi Bandey at Shopian in Pulwama late last evening, he said, adding there was no casualty.

Militants fired upon a police post at Sartangal in Doda district last evening. However, the policemen retaliated but the ultras escaped.

Activists of the Al-Umar outfit, Javid Hussain Bhat and Yawar Abbass Wani, were arrested from Chataban in Srinagar last evening. Explosives were seized from them.

Till all areas recaptured
Govt advised not to ceasefire
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 11 — Indian Defence Authorities have conveyed to the Government of India that the troops, engaged in clearing Kargil heights of Pakistani intrusions, should not be told to ceasefire till all areas were regained.

Highly placed sources said that the Defence authorities have made it clear that Pakistan was trying to buy time by suggesting to India that the two sides should meet to discuss the modalities of withdrawal and the ceasefire. It is in this context that the Defence authorities have cautioned the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister against falling a prey to the Pakistani designs of buying time.

The sources said that field reports from Kargil, Dras and Batalik sectors had indicated that soon after the meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and the American President, Bill Clinton, in Washington the infiltrators had started withdrawing from several mountain belts. It was the result of this gradual withdrawal that the Tiger Hills and other peaks were recaptured by the Indian soldiers without a prolonged fight.

Soon after the Pakistani Army top brass and the ISI chief received reports of death of large number of infiltrators in the Indian military operations additional troops from Peshawar had been sent to Kargil and Dras sectors in the guise of infiltrators. However, except for the Mushkoh valley all other strategic areas have been cleared by the Indian troops.

The sources said that Pakistani Government and the leaders of militant outfits including the Harkat-ul Mujahideen, the Hizbul Mujahideen and Jamaat-e-Islami were simply creating confusion by announcing that the infiltrators were not willing to withdraw. This strategy had been adopted to mount pressure on India to accept resumption of talks to resolve the Kashmir issue.

The Army authorities have also informed the Government of India that the "victory" was inevitable and as such there should be no scope for New Delhi to order a ceasefire or accept Islamabad's suggestion for talks unless all areas in Kargil and Dras were cleared of intrusion.

The authorities have conveyed to the Government that now onwards the operations against the infiltrators would be slower than these were hitherto. The main reason being that the infiltrators and Pakistani regulars had mined some of the strategic areas before withdrawing from the posts. The idea was to cause heavy casualties once the Indian soldiers marched speedily to recapture the heights occupied by Pak infiltrators.

Field reports say that the Indian soldiers have been cautioned against the mined areas. Track opening parties have been sent in advance to clear the areas of the land mines so that while ascending the slopes the Army men were not killed in mine explosions. Reports said that in Kargil and Dras areas more than 60 boxes of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines had been recovered in recent weeks from three places and at two other places large quantities of mines were seized from the Pakistani infiltrators after they fell to the guns of Indian soldiers in Batalik sector.

Meanwhile, the sector commanders in the Kargil-Dras belt have been directed to prepare a detailed report on the pattern the Government should adopt on maintaining troops on the icy heights during winter months. The reports would be whetted by experts at the Army headquarters and later submitted to the Union Finance Ministry for earmarking separate funds for maintaining troops on Kargil-Dras heights.

Defence experts are of the opinion that with the current budgetary allocation for the Defence Ministry it was not possible for the Ministry to maintain troops on the mountain ranges in Kargil and Dras sectors. The Defence Ministry has called for a steep hike in the allocation of funds since the Ministry had to carry out a serious exercise on modernising its weaponry, enhance the level of production of ammunition including shells for long range guns.

The Defence Ministry is in favour of keeping recruitment in the armed forces abreast with increase in weapons and ammunition manufacturing . The Ministry has already placed orders worth several million of rupees for the purchase of fighter planes, tanks and long range guns and hence there was need for increasing the budgetary allocation for the Defence Ministry.

Bodies of Pak army men shown
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 11 — Substantiating its claim of the Pakistani army's direct involvement in the Kargil intrusion, the Army authorities here today displayed bodies of two Pakistani army officers, recovered in Dras sector three days back.

The officers have been identified as Capt Imtiyaz Malik of 165 Mortar Regiment and Capt Karnal Sher of 12 NLI on the basis of some written documents recovered from their corpses. The body of another officer, Major Iqbal, could not be displayed by the Army at the 15 Corps headquarters here this morning for it was in a "slightly decomposed state". Brig A.K. Chopra, BGS, 15 Corps, confirmed the body of Capt Malik was recovered from Tiger Hill while that of Capt Sher was recovered from Point 4875 of Gun Hill in the Mushkoh valley on Thursday last.

Both the officers were in civvies as their bodies were kept in coffins covered by Pak flags as a mark of respect to the Pak soldiers. Commenting on the recovery and identification of the bodies, Brigadier Chopra said Capt Malik was dressed in civvies with a jersey on which the broaches of the rank were fitted. He had been also identified by the letters from his wife lying near the body. The body of Capt Karnal Sher was also recognised through letters to him from his brother. These letters and other documents substantiating the identification of the Pakistani Army officers were displayed before the mediapersons here this morning.

Major Iqbal's body had been identified through a letter from "Amer" (chief) giving him certain directions. The letter addressed to Major Iqbal (AOM) said: "I am sure you must be in high morale. I am sending 12 indl of 12 NLI and 5 of SSG. CO has said that send 11 indl of 12 NLI and 9 of SSG to 129 B from 129 C. Total str will be 15 three more under Capt Sher will go to 129 B. People from 129 C will stay at 129 B for two days. After this men will be changed by these indl. Their sleeping bags should remain at the post. Orders from CO side.

A number of letters and greeting cards addressed to the deceased Pak army officers from their relatives were also displayed before the mediapersons here this morning. "This is ample proof of the identification of Pak army officers and direct involvement of the Pak army in this intrusion", a senior officers said. The Army authorities here have earlier also displayed the documents letters, etc and also the weapons seized from Kargil before the mediapersons here during the past two months.

This was for the first time that the bodies of two Pak army officers were displayed for the mediapersons today. Earlier also, bodies of five Pak army men had been brought to Srinagar but these were not displayed before the mediapersons "as a mark of respect to the Pak army men".

Whether the bodies would be handed over to the Pakistani Army, has not been decided yet. "We will follow normal procedures and only then the bodies would either be handed over to the Pakistani army or buried here only", said an officer. He added that the treatment meted out to the Pak soldiers at the hands of the Indian Army was exemplary as compared to that of the Pak army's treatment of Indian soldiers. In this connection, the officer referred to the return of six bodies of Indian Army personnel by the Pakistani army in June last. The bodies were extensively mutilated after the Army men were killed by the Pakistani troops. These Army men had been missing for about one month when their bodies were returned.

"Anti-militancy operations to continue
in J&K"
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 11 — Lt-Gen Avtar Singh, Director-General, Rashtriya Rifles, here yesterday ruled out any "drastic changes" in the operations against the militants in Kashmir following his appointment as the Security Adviser to the state Government.

"We do not intend to make any drastic change in the set-up", Lt-Gen Avtar Singh said. He added that the unified headquarters which include all security agencies for anti-militancy operations in the valley which continue its operations on the previous pattern. This is for the first time during the past two months that Lt-Gen Avtar Singh commented on the security operations in the valley after his appointment.

The charge of security adviser from Lt-Gen Krishan Pal, 15 Corps chief, was withdrawn soon after the trouble began along the LoC in Kargil.

In reply to another question, he said the recent massacres in Poonch and Anantnag districts of Jammu and Kashmir were not in any way linked to Kargil situation. "This may not be linked with Kargil... that was merely a propaganda that everything in the valley was linked to Kargil", Director-General commented. He added that public mood in the valley was against the Kargil situation as it affected the tourism industry.

He admitted that infiltration was an ongoing process due to the porous borders and there was no similarity between the infiltration in Kashmir and in Kargil.

For them life is more than a game

MINJI (KARGIL) July,11 (PTI) — Pink-cheeked girls chirp shyly in a corner about school lessons and games while the boys play around boisterously.

But, when the guns really boom even a mention of the word "shelling" brings instant silence over the group of apparently happy-go-lucky kids conning mathematical tables by the rote in this township, 15 km from Kargil.

A bunch of kids playing in a clump of trees just outside the town got the shock of their lives when a couple of Pakistani shells landed among the trees after many weeks. Those kids have not come out of their houses ever since.

These are the kids, who along with their families, were forced out of the cosy confines of their homes in Dras, Kargil, Baroo, Chanigond, Apati and Tomail towns in the Kargil sector by heavy Pakistani shelling and have become refugees in their own country in this small township.

The very mention of Pakistani shelling brings a grave expression on the face of seven-year-old Zhakir the Chirpy kid, who till the other minute was discussing cricket and Sachin Tendulkar, is unable to utter a single word.

Zhakir come from Dras which has become a ghost town as all residents fled and the Army has moved into their houses. "He has seen death, destruction at such a tender age that it has done permanent damage to his psychology," Zhakir’s teacher Hussain said.

Minji was supposed to be safe from Pakistani shelling and for this reason three schools — two from Dras and one from Baroo — had been moved here along with their staff. The school run evening classes after the local school gets over.

"Last year too the schools had been moved but the staff was not, and we had a lot of difficulty commuting up and down," Zarin Khanum says.

"The government is doing well to ensure our education does not suffer," says 15-year-old Mansoor, a polio-stricken child from Baroo, who his teachers say is "very serious" about studies.

All children are eagerly waiting to go back home as they are being forced to live as guests away from home.

The population of Minji is 12,000, but as on date there are over 15,000 migrants registered with the authorities subsisting on 7 kg rice, 4 kg flour, five litres of kerosene and Rs 200 per head per month as government assistance.

Minji residents have been helping their displaced brethren in a big way and are trying to make them as comfortable as possible.

"All Minji residents have spared at least one room in their houses for us and refuse to take any rent. They also help us with fuelwood, water and even vegetables," a choking Zarina says with tears of gratitude and appreciation.

"A few shells have already landed on the outskrits of Minji and who knows, they would be the next target for frustrated Pakistani artillery guns," she says, adding that "for all you know, tomorrow they might find themselves in the situation we are in today."

Civilian cremated with military honours
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 11 — Setting aside conventions one civilian, Kamlesh Kumar (30), was today cremated in his Hakal village near here with full military honours. The Station Commander Brigadier, I.P. Singh laid wreath on the pyre in presence of one full contingent of the Army that saluted the martyr. Senior state government officers were also present.

Kamlesh Kumar, a technician, wanted to serve the country and opted to go to Kargil as a porter. He spent more than 10 days in forward areas and two days back he was killed in the operation launched by the Indian troops for reclaiming Tiger Hill. He fell to the Pakistan bullets.

Kamlesh Kumar has two brothers and both of them are in the Army. He was having a peaceful living with his parents, his wife and one son and a daughter. The Kargil conflict pinched him hard and he volunteered to serve in the Kargil Dras belt as a porter.

He was among over 100 youths who had gone to Kargil front to assist the Indian troops. Kamlesh Kumar had endeared himself with the soldiers whom he helped in many ways. He was treated as a daredevil when he carried supplies to the soldiers marching towards the needle shaped mountain belts. He was often seen leading the troops over the icy heights. When the Indian troops launched an offensive against Pakistan soldiers and infiltrators he carried weapons and essential items on his shoulder. While he was ahead of his fellows the Pakistan troops launched heavy artillery fire which ended the life of Kamlesh Kumar.

29 top cops shifted in J&K

SRINAGAR, July 11 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered the transfer of 29 senior police officers, including chiefs of the Kashmir and Jammu regions, while two Inspectors-General were promoted to the rank of Additional Director-General.

An official spokesman said Mr p. s. gill, Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir range, has been transferred and posted as IGP, Operations, while Mr Kuldeep Khuda Jammu range IGP, has been transferred and posted as IGP, Crime and Railways.

Mr Gopal Sharma and Mr R. V. Raju will be the new police chief of the Kashmir valley and the Jammu region, respectively.

Mr M.K. Mohanty who has been promoted to the rank of Additional Director-General has been posted in police modernisation against the post of adgp, Armed Police.

Mr Rajan Bakshi, IGP, has been transferred and posted as Additional Director-General of Police, Headquarters, against an available post.

Mr S.P. Vaid, DIG, has been transferred and posted as dig, Jammu, vice Mr S. K. Misra while the dig, Udhampur-Doda range Mr Ram Lubhaya, has been shifted to Crime and Railways against an available post.

The government also ordered the transfer of the Deputy Commissioners of Baramula and Anantnag.

Troops should cross LoC: Swamy
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 11 — The Janata Party has favoured that the Indian troops should be asked to cross the Line of Control in the Kargil and Dras sectors to snap the supply line to the infiltrators still holding to their posts in some areas.

The Janata Party President, Dr Subramaniam Swamy, said here today that even under the UN Security Council resolution it was provided that a country which was threatened by cross-border terrorism could cross the border and smash the terrorist camps. He said had there been a strong central Government and an effective Prime Minister, the Indian troops would have received orders long back for crossing the Line of Control to smash the supply line to the infiltrators and arms training camps.

Launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes, Dr Swamy held them responsible for the death of a large number of Indian soldiers and Army officers in the Kargil-Dras belt. He said the UN Military Observer Group had sent a report to the UN Security Council about the Pak intrusion in Kargil. The Government of India had been informed about it early in February but the Prime Minister preferred the Lahore bus journey to taking effective measures for throwing out infiltrators who by May had captured several peaks in Kargil and Dras.

The Janata Party President said Mr Vajpayee should apologise to the nation for his mistakes in Kargil. Mr Vajpayee had shown himself to be a "weak" Prime Minister. Dr Swamy stated he had met several former Prime Ministers who said they had never ordered that the icy heights in the Kargil and Dras areas be left ignored during the winter.

He said Kargil would be made a poll issue during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and "we will expose the Government" as far as its "mishandling of the Kargil conflict was concerned.

He said India had to adopt a realistic approach towards the problem of insurgency and infiltration because at present US President Bill Clinton and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were working in close contact. He did not agree with the BJP claim that its restraint had isolated Pakistan. He said not a single country had condemned Pakistan for its intrusion in Kargil and Islamabad was simply asked to withdraw its infiltrators.