Intelligence agencies to blame for infiltration in Kargil
JAMMU, May 18 — The grim situation in the Kargil-Drass belt from where Indian troops have not been able to flush out infiltrators for the past 10 days speaks volumes of intelligence failure.

Infiltration bid foiled
JAMMU, May 18 — Troops today foiled a major infiltration bid of armed militants and gunned down a top foreign mercenary and injured two others in the Poonch sector while militants killed two women in Doda district of the Jammu region, official sources said here.

Jammu

Steps taken to check copying
JAMMU, May 18 — To curb the menace of copying during examination, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Minister for School Education, Mr Mohamad Sharie Tariq, to finalise the arrangements for the smooth conduct of class X, higher secondary part-II and plus II biennial examinations (May-June session).

Intelligence agencies to blame for infiltration in Kargil
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 18 — The grim situation in the Kargil-Drass belt from where Indian troops have not been able to flush out infiltrators for the past 10 days speaks volumes of intelligence failure.

Official sources said RAW and the Military Intelligence (MI) had failed to alert the authorities to Pakistan's plan to carry out a major intrusion into the Kargil-Drass sector to whip up subversive activity.

The sources said Pakistan's agencies had started making preparations since the beginning of March for sending foreign mercenaries and soldiers into the Kargil and Drass areas.

In fact, more than 100 soldiers and militants had sneaked into Indian territory from across Batalik and Drass in the first week of March.

Experts blamed RAW more than MI for the major intelligence failure. Informed sources said RAW had a large number of field sources and officials in the Ladakh region, including the Kargil-Drass belt. But they lacked proper communication facilities.

What was surprising said the experts was that a small state like Jammu and Kashmir had provided the satellite phone link to the district police chief in Kargil and during the exchange of fire between the Indian and Pakistani troops the only communication link with the state government in Srinagar was the police satellite phone. The experts wondered when RAW had a hefty budget for carrying out espionage activities, why proper communication facilities had not been provided to its sleuths and sources in the Kargil-Drass belt.Another intriguing thing was that intelligence agencies which usually claimed that they had the facilities and the expertise to intercept messages sent by militants and smash their hideouts were not able to intercept messages sent by militants camping in the upper reaches of Batalik, Marpola, Shipper's Alley and other posts to their patrons across the border.

As a result of the failure of the intelligence agencies the militants not only captured strategic posts in the Kargil-Drass area, but also succeeded in reaching close to Gorkane to make an attempt to cut off the road linking Leh with Kargil and Drass.

Reports said state intelligence agencies,however, had conveyed information regarding Pakistan's plan to push into Kargil, Kupwar, Karan, Poonch and Rajouri large groups of infiltrators. Even the BSF's intelligence wing had informed the higher authorities about the plan of Pakistan to step up infiltration from across the border from April.

However, the authorities in Delhi did not pay much attention to reports as these were not backed by either MI or RAW.

Infiltration bid foiled

JAMMU, May 18 (PTI) — Troops today foiled a major infiltration bid of armed militants and gunned down a top foreign mercenary and injured two others in the Poonch sector while militants killed two women in Doda district of the Jammu region, official sources said here.

The troops observed movement of a big group of armed militants near the Nangi Tikri area of Mendhar tehsil of the Poonch sector. The troops asked intruding militants to surrender but they opened fire at them. In enusing gunfight, one top mercenary was killed and two were injured.

The other militants numbering about 30 escaped back into Pakistani side under the cover of Pakistani troops firing from across the border.

The killed top mercenary was identified as Abu Shabib of pro-Pakistani Lashker-e-Toiba of Afghanistan. The seizures include three AK rifles, one radio set, two hand grenades, pouches, bayonets and three magazines.

Militants kidnapped two women from a Sariedha village in Doda district last night at gunpoint and killed them in forest. Their bodies were found in the outskirts of Kuthra village this morning, the sources said.

Meanwhile, an CRPF jawan Lance Naik Mahipal Singh, was killed when his rifle went off accidently and pierced his throat at Assar area of doda district.

A dreaded militant of Lashker-e-Toiba outfit, who had turned psychopath and was forcing women into submission for the last six months in upper reaches of Doda district, was shot dead by troops in the Bharat area of the district yesterday, a defence spokesman said here today.

The militant, identified as Abu Harsha, with his associates used to visit Bharat and adjoining villages to sexually molest women at gunpoint. He created and unleashed terror in the area for last six months, the spokesman said.

The security forces were regularly receiving complaints of his atrocities and rapes on girls of the area.

A trap was laid for the psychopath by troops of Rashtriya Rifles. An encounter ensued and the militant was shot dead before he could escape into forest area.

Steps taken to check copying
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, May 18 — To curb the menace of copying during examination, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Minister for School Education, Mr Mohamad Sharie Tariq, to finalise the arrangements for the smooth conduct of class X, higher secondary part-II and plus II biennial examinations (May-June session). These would start from May 20 to June 5, in the valley.

It was decided at the meeting that police personnel would be deployed at all examination centres and they would back up by the CRPF at centres in senstive areas. Section 44, Cr, Pc would also be imposed around these centres and candidates would be thoroughly checked at the entry points of each centre by the staff and wherever necessary by the security personnel.

In case the necessity arises, admission cards of the candidates would be treated as curfew passes to enable them to reach their respective examination centre.

The concerned Deputy Commissioners may also depute their staff but not below the rank of additional Deputy Commissioner or tehsildar to visit some examination centres.