Jammu and Kashmir Encounter Ends, 17 Militants Killed

Srinagar: The fierce encounter between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district has finally ended, with six more militants killed on Tuesday taking the death toll in the gunbattle to 25. Security forces are carrying out combing operations there.

“The hand-to-hand gunfights have ended,” said Army spokesman JS Brar.

“The militants most likely consisted of an infiltrating column as well as the terrorists who had come to receive them,” Brar said, adding the operation was based on “sound intelligence inputs”.

Seventeen militants and eight Army personnel, including a Major, were killed in the encounter which began on March 20 on higher reaches of the Shamsabari range in Harfada forest, a defence spokesman said.

Four soldiers and five militants were killed on Monday while an ultra died a day before. On Saturday, four troops, including Major Mohit Sharma, and two insurgents, were killed.

The gunfights were first reported on Saturday and followed a cross-border exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops that left one Indian soldier wounded.

The latest death toll was the highest in months in the troubled region and came at a time of heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours following last November’s deadly Islamist militant attacks on Mumbai.

The funeral of one of the Indian troops killed in the fighting was also held on Tuesday and drew a big turnout from Kashmiri residents, witnesses said.

The dead soldier, a Shiite Muslim from a village northeast of Srinagar, died on Monday during a heavy exchange of fire with rebels.

Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control in 2003 and have since held slow-moving peace negotiations.

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Jammu and Kashmir Encounter Ends, 17 Militants Killed was first posted on March 25, 2009 at 11:27 am.

7 Indian troops killed in held Kashmir

SRINAGAR: In an encounter between Indian Army troops and Kashmiri mujahideen, an officer and seven troops were killed and many more injured.

It is suspected that five Mujahideen were also injured in the shootout.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel J.S Brar defence spokesman at Srinagar, while confirming the incident disclosed that on specific information regarding presence of Mujahideen in the area, Army troops carried out search and cordon operation in Shamswari forests of Kupwara district.

The mujahideen surrounded the troops and did not allow them to flee. In a continuous gunfight between the Mujahideen and Army troops, Major Mohit Sharma of 1 Para along with his seven troops and eleven civilian were killed while five Mujahideen and equal number of civilians were injured.

Additional troops were rushed to the densely forested area and encounter was in progress when last reports came in.

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7 Indian troops killed in held Kashmir was first posted on March 24, 2009 at 9:16 pm.

Army Major, 4 Militants Killed in Jammu Kashmir Gunbattle

Srinagar: Three Army personnel, a Major and four militants have been killed in an encounter at Hafrada forest in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to sources, the gunbattle, which is continuing since Friday, has also injured a soldier.

On receiving information of the militant infiltration in the forest area, the Army, assisted by the local police acted promptly and launched a gunbattle in which Major Mehak and three other jawans were killed, while Havildar Rakesh Kumar was injured, sources said.

Four militants have also been killed so far in the gunfight, reports said.

There are reports that the Army is fighting with almost a dozen militants, still active in the area.

Earlier, the Army had asked for a flag meeting after Pakistani Army indulged in a major breach of ceasefire, and fired between 1500 to 2000 rounds at Indian posts in the Kamalkote area of the Uri sector between 10:00 p. m. on Friday night and 3:00 a. m. on Saturday morning.

Pakistan authorities are yet to respond.

India and Pakistan had declared a ceasefire on the borders of the two countries in November 2003.

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Army Major, 4 Militants Killed in Jammu Kashmir Gunbattle was first posted on March 22, 2009 at 11:58 am.

Indian Troops Found Guilty of Killing 2 Kashmiri

SRINAGAR: A high-level army court of inquiry probing the killing of two civilians in held Kashmir has found two soldiers guilty of “lapses”.

The defence ministry said that the inquiry had singled out a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and two other soldiers.

The inquiry relates to the killing of two Muslim men in Bumai.

Local residents said that soldiers fired without any provocation and the deaths sparked mass protests.

The Indian army authorities initially gave conflicting versions of the incident – in which a civilian was also injured – but finally ordered the court of inquiry.

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Indian Troops Found Guilty of Killing 2 Kashmiri was first posted on March 21, 2009 at 11:58 am.

Canada For Peaceful Resolution To Kashmir issue

TORONTO: Canadian government has yet another time urged Indian government to find the peaceful solution to Kashmir issue saying, “Not only should Indian government respect the human rights of Kashmiri but also it must be resolved according to the wishes of the people of Kashmir.”

The Canadian foreign minister Laurence Cannon has written a letter to Mushtaq Jilani who is presently associated with Peace and Justice Forum.

In his letter he said that his country has several times encouraged both Indian and Pakistani government to find a peaceful resolution to Kashmir dispute.

Both countries must continue the process of composite dialogue to reach an agreement acceptable for three parties Pakistan, India and Kashmiri people, the letter also stated.

Canadian FM was quoted as saying, “Canada is in consultation with G8 countries in a bid to evolve durable peace in South Asia and Canadian High Commission in India insists on Indian government for the assurance of respect of human rights of Kashmiri people.”

His country will stay involved in resolving Kashmir row standing between India and Pakistan, he maintained.

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Canada For Peaceful Resolution To Kashmir issue was first posted on March 20, 2009 at 10:43 am.

4 Paramilitary Troopers Suspended in Kashmir: Civilian Killing

Srinagar: Four paramilitary troopers, including an assistant commandant, were on Thursday suspended pending investigations into Wednesday’s firing in a south Kashmir village that left a carpenter dead.

Gulam Mohiuddin Malik, 35, was killed in allegedly unprovoked firing by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in Kheegam village of Pulwama district, according to witnesses.

A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the security forces with police asking CRPF officials to identify the accused troopers to complete the probe into the incident.

“The CRPF has suspended one assistant commandant and three constables allegedly involved in the firing incident in which one villager unfortunately lost his life”, B. Srinivas, inspector general of police (Kashmir Zone) told a media service here today.

Malik was shot dead when troopers of the 181 CRPF battalion were patrolling the village. The villagers claimed the troopers opened fire at the carpenter without any provocation.

CRPF spokesman Prabhakar Tripathi said: “A CRPF patrol had gone to the village for searches on specific information about the presence of militants. The patrol was fired upon by militants and they returned the fire. The body of one person was recovered from the spot.”

The killing, which sparked off protests in Pulwama, came when union Home Minister P. Chidambaram was on a day-long visit to the state. Chidambaram assured action against the army troopers found guilty of killing two youth in north Kashmir’s Bomai village Feb 21.

The situation in Kheegam was tense with hundreds of villagers refusing to bury the body of the slain carpenter until the guilty were punished.

Senior civil and police officers rushed to the spot to defuse the palpable tension.

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4 Paramilitary Troopers Suspended in Kashmir: Civilian Killing was first posted on March 19, 2009 at 1:40 pm.

Former Azad Kashmir PM vows to Take Part in Long March, sit-in

RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Muhammad Atiq Khan, has announced to fully take part in lawyers’ long march and planned sit-in here on Monday.

Addressing a press conference here, he said that federal government wanted to destroy the administrative structure of Azad Kashmir.

He said that despite requisition moved by opposition, Speaker Azad Kashmir was not summoning the assembly’s session.

He appealed to Supreme Court to take suo motto notice against disqualification of Sharif brothers and undo the verdict.

“President House has become a center of conspiracies,” he added.

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Former Azad Kashmir PM vows to Take Part in Long March, sit-in was first posted on March 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

Pakistan Bus Hero’s Brother was a Jihadi in Jammu&Kashmir

London: Pakistani driver Mehar Mohammed Khalil whose quick thinking saved Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore has an altogether different story to tell.

Khalil’s younger brother, Shakil, was a jhadi killed by Indian security forces in Kashmir in anti-militancy operation in 1995, a news report has said.

“In 1995 his younger brother, Shakil, was killed fighting for a jihadi militant group in Kashmir,” The Times reported.

According to the report, Khalil welcomed his well wishers in the backdrop of “a photograph of his dead brother, with a Kalashnikov rifle over his shoulder, a camouflage cap on his head and a radio in one hand”.

Printed in Urdu across the photograph were the words ‘Mujahid martyred in Kashmir. Died in Udampur, India, August 25, 1995. Codename Abdullah.’ the report added.

As he spoke, a relative whisked away the photograph of his dead brother.

“He is also a supporter of Jamaat-e-Islami – the Islamist political party – that wants to impose Sharia across Pakistan and to use the Amy to kick India out of Kashmir”, a British daily said.

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Pakistan Bus Hero’s Brother was a Jihadi in Jammu&Kashmir was first posted on March 7, 2009 at 1:59 pm.