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| After 'most peaceful 2009', violence up in Kashmir | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 6: After 2009, declared the 'most peaceful year' since the eruption of militancy in 1989, the level of violence has gone up in Kashmir this year.
At least 72 militancy related incidents, including gunfights, grenade attacks and an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, had occured in Kashmir in the first two months of 2010.
The period also witnessed the first suicide attack by militants in over two years when two fidayeen struck Srinagar's nerve centre, Lal Chowk, on January six. Though both of them were shot dead by troops, a cop and a civilian were also killed.The last suicide attack by militants had taken place in October 2007.
Thirty two militants, 14 army jawans and 7 civilians were killed in the 72 violent incidents, the sources added.The year 2010 was greeted with a shoot-out when militants had fired from point blank range towards two Indian border guards at Soura on the outskirts of the summer capital when the duo was withdrawing cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
This set in motion militant violence, which is continuing unabated. The gunfights were being reported now on daily basis. In the last week of February, a fierce gunfight took place between militants and Indian army personnel at Chinkipora, Sopore, in which an army captain, three soldiers and two militants were killed."There has been a considerable rise in grenade explosions and encounters. Only seven militancy related incidents had taken place in the first month of 2009," the sources added.People in thousands attended the funeral prayers of the militants, who were killed in gunfights with with security forces. The funeral procession of some slain militants, who were young and unmarried, were showered flower petals by their family members and relatives.
Even, hundreds of people attended the funeral prayers of Pakistani militants, who got killed in gunfights with security men.The top Indian security officials linked the rise in violence level in Kashmir with infiltration of militants from Pakistani occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"Large number of militants managed to infiltrate into Kashmir from PoK last year. Although over 80 militants were killed while trying to infiltrate into Kashmir, some managed to cross over," army sources said.
Expressing concern over infiltration by militants, army chief General Deepak Kapoor had accused Pakistan of continuing to push militants into Kashmir for fomenting trouble.
Home Minister P Chidambaram too had asked security forces to launch a major offensive against militants.
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