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| A Week full of terror, scare | | | If the past week was special for the historical agreement on cross-Line of Control trade, it was equally wretched for increase in the number of incidents of violence and cross-border infiltration. First day of the week, October 22, begin with a fierce gun fight on Line of Control in Tarkundi sector of Poonch district. Four militants and one soldier was killed in the incident.
Surprisingly, militancy is on its revision course in Jammu province where sporadic incidents of violence and infiltration are on an alarming rise. Intelligence reports have that some 800 ultras are waiting on the other side of International Border and Line of Control along Jammu region to cross over at an opportune time. Such “opportune times” are now happening much frequently and that too under the fire cover provided by Pakistani Rangers or Army. While the Winter Capital City is reeling under a constant terror fear since ultras sneaked in on August 25 and took a family hostage before being killed in a 19-hour long gun battle, the fear factor is also looming large in the countryside and the border melting hot with activity.
Having enjoyed few years of security and peace in their home and hearths since November 2003 ceasefire, the border residents along five districts in Jammu region are again a worried lot. Since November 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, life had limped back to normalcy along the International Border and the Line of Control and people had resumed their usual farm activity which was on doldrums after the Kargil conflict of 1999. However, since past few months a deep sense of insecurity is prevailing among the residents of border areas as cases of firing and infiltration have picked up drastically and some times getting more frequent than the pre-ceasefire times.
Reports from across the region have been pouring in on the presence of militants. It was around two to three months back when people in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch started reporting huge presence of militants in the interiors and now a similar situation is being reported from the areas along IB, in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
Between April and August this year, there have been at least 29 instances when Pakistani troops violated the truce with India and fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) to provide covering fire to militants. One incident was reported in April, two in May and seven in June. The figure rose to 10 in July, while at least nine violations took place in August. About 150 intruders had managed to cross over to the Indian side since January, sources said.
'The recent firing along the LoC is mainly an attempt of infiltration by militants and the armed forces are keeping a vigil. By and large, we have been able to defeat the attempts of militants. The coming few months are crucial and we have to be more alert and the armed forces have been asked to be more vigilant,' Defence Minister AK Antony said on September 5 in New Delhi.
Infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir normally begins at the end of March when the snows in the Himalayan ranges melt and the passes become accessible. Between March and July, the Indian Army says, there have been over 130 infiltration bids, of which about 20 succeeded. |
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