PRO attack belies Army claims
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 4 — The attack on the office of the PRO Defence Ministry in the fortified cantonment area of Srinagar on Wednesday in which six army personnel, including a Major and a BSF jawan were killed, proves that militant outfits have constituted suicide squad for carrying out gun and grenade attacks on vital government installations.

Six hours before the gory incident the corps commander, Lt Gen Krishen Pal, had stated that three were no suicide squads. But the way four militants, in Afghan dresses and equipped with guns and grenades sneaked into the protected area indicated they had come with a definite mission, which they might not survive.

As Lashkar-e-Toiba has claimed responsibility for the attack it also makes clear that the Toiba has bases in the summer capital itself, disproving Gen Pal's contention that the rebels had not been dislodged from Srinagar city.

Though the Army authorities have also claimed that the PRO's office is not inside the protected area experts differ saying one cannot have a metre-wise demarcation of protected and unprotected areas and the PRO office is part of the Army establishment.

The armed attack on the PRO's office was well-planned with the rebels first launching a grenade attack to create confusion. The grenade attack was followed by rocket bursts and gunfire under the cover of which the four gunmen jumped into the PRO's office premises after scaling a low wall and killed the six Army personnel, including the PRO, Major Purushottam.

During the past six months militants, especially those belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, have carried out rocket and grenade attacks from close range on Army camps, units and even brigade headquarters in north Kashmir, Poonch and Rajouri. In some previous attacks militants confusion by sneaking into Army units in army battle gear.

Reportedly Major Purushottam and his men at the PRO's office had been receiving threatening call from the militants during the past six months, the intensity of which increased after Pakistan's pullout from Kargil and Dras. This had even brought to the notice of the higher up but apparently no action was taken.

Major Purushottam had endeared himself to the print and electronic media by his willingness to help them in their professional duty and would move around in the unsecured press enclave.

Yesterday's incident has caused panic in the summer capital with the public National Conference leaders worried by the militants ability to strike even in highly protected area.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba started its three-day conference at Lahore a day earlier and the cantonment incident is a deliberate provocation synchronised to coincide with the Lahore conference, scheduled to end tomorrow.

Srinagar-Leh road closed to traffic

SRINAGAR, Nov 4 (UNI) — Upper reaches of the Kashmir valley, including the Ski resort of Gulmarg, had the season’s first snowfall while plains were lashed by rains since early this morning resulting in a considerable drop in temperature.

Meanwhile, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway has been closed for vehicular traffic for winter from this morning following snowfall at several places including Zojila pass.

The Ski resorts of Gulmarg, Khilanmarg and Alapatheri had season’s first snowfall since early this morning.

Reports of snowfall have also been received from Sonmarg, Yusmarg, Daksum, Aharabal and upper reaches of Shopian.

The holy Amarnath cave experienced about one feet of snowfall since last evening while it was also snowing at Sheshnag, Panjtarni, Mahagunas and Chandanwari.

Srinagar and its adjoining areas were lashed by rains since early this morning resulting in considerable drop in the temperature disrupting normal life.

Most people remained indoors while others were seen venturing out wearing warm clothing.

A traffic police official told UNI that no vehicle will be allowed to ply on the Srinagar-Leh national highway from today. However, he said no vehicle is stranded anywhere on the highway.

He said the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway is open despite rain.

Militants attack Army camp

POONCH, Nov 4 (PTI) — Pakistani-backed militants fired rockets on an Army camp in Lasana area of Surankote tehsil in this district, official reports said today. The four rockets fired on the camp yesterday exploded in the air without causing any casualty or damage to property.

The Army has launched a hunt for the militants behind the attack, the reports said.

Reports from Rajouri said security forces killed one militant in an encounter in Darhal area last night.

Security forces recovered the body of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Ghulam Nabi in Dodrimal area of Rajouri yesterday, they said, adding he was injured in an encounter with security forces at Koteranka on October 26.

Fifteen kg of RDX and three grenades were recovered from a militant hideout in Swari area of Rajouri.

Nearly 400 foreign mercenaries, mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan, are operating in areas south of the Pir Panjal mountain range, the defence sources said in Jammu.

The mercenaries, constituting almost 70 per cent of terrorists operating in the area, are active in Doda, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region, they told PTI quoting intelligence reports.

"These areas have witnessed a steep escalation in organised attacks by terrorists and also fierce encounters with security forces during the past one month," they said.

"The induction of foreign mercenaries has added a new and dangerous dimension to the terrorist movement in the state. They are battle-hardened men and well trained for any encounter. That is why, we have to pay a heavy price sometimes," said a senior army official in charge of the operation wing.

During the past one month, 13 army personnel, including a Lt Colonel, two Majors and a Captain, lost their lives and 22 others were injured in fierce gunbattles in Poonch-Udhampur belt, while 43 ultras, 31 of them foreign mercenaries, were killed and 86 injured in these encounters.

While the mercenaries operating in Poonch belong to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami those active in Rajouri are from Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Badr.

Bandh hits life in valley

SRINAGAR, Nov 4 (UNI) — Life in the valley was paralysed today due to bandh call given by Dukhtaran-e-Milat in protest against atrocities against women in Kashmir while a woman was among two people killed and a police constable injured in the valley during the past 24 hours.

Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley remained closed and traffic was off the road. Work in government offices, banks, post offices and government ration depots was affected due to strike, educational institutions also remained closed.

An official spokesman said armed militants entered the house of one Mohammad Shafi at Gauripora Kagan late last night and opened fire indiscriminate. Halima, wife of Shafi died, in the attack.

He said militants shot dead one Ghulam Mohi-ud-din in his Watrana house in Bandipora last night. Militants hurled a hand grenade on a Border Security Force picket at Namchabal in the downtown city last evening. However, the grenade exploded without causing any damage.

Panic gripped Habakadal area in the old city today when militants lobbed a hand grenade at a BSF picket. However, the grenade missed its intended target and exploded on the roadside without causing any damage.

The spokesman said a police constable was injured in an encounter with militants at Nagabal Tral in Pulwama district last evening.