Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 14

Pakistan today resorted to firing and shelling at different places on the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Jammu districts. One soldier and a civilian were injured in the shelling that came after Pakistan officially confirmed that seven of its soldiers were killed in cross-border firing yesterday.The fresh shelling made authorities cancel all cultural programmes of the Jhiri Mela which started at the Kanachak area this morning.“As a precautionary measure, we have cancelled the cultural programme and Natrang play at Jhiri. Though there is no shelling in the Jhiri sector, we cannot take chances in view of the ceasefire violation in the Khour sector,” Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simranjit Singh said. A large number of devotees from all parts of north India, especially from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, are attending the mela.Defence sources said the Pakistani troops started firing in the Pallanwalla area in the Akhnoor sub-division of Jammu district and the Sunderbani and Nowshera sectors of Rajouri district. The firing started at 2.40 pm and continued for two hours.Reports said Pakistan used 82 mm mortars and automatic guns at different locations along the LoC. The Indian troops gave a befitting response to the ceasefire violation.The Deputy Commissioner said a civilian, Mangat Ram, who is resident of Sainth village of the Khour area, was injured in the shelling.Reports said one para commando was injured in Pakistani firing at Khadi Khadmal on the LoC in Poonch district. He had reportedly been shifted to Army Hospital, Udhampur.The rise in shelling came after Inter-Services Public Relations of Pakistan today admitted that seven soldiers were killed on Sunday night in cross-border firing from across the LoC in the Bhimber sector. For the past over one month, violations of ceasefire have been going on unabated in the Nowshera area.The fresh shelling made authorities cancel all cultural programmes of the Jhiri Mela which started at the Kanachak area this morning.“As a precautionary measure, we have cancelled the cultural programme and Natrang play at Jhiri. Though there is no shelling in the Jhiri sector, we cannot take chances in view of the ceasefire violation in the Khour sector,” Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simranjit Singh said. A large number of devotees from all parts of north India, especially from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, are attending the mela.On November 8, Pakistani troops had targeted Indian posts along the LoC in the area by opening fire and lobbing mortar shells. Indian troops had retaliated to it. There have been over 115 ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after the surgical strikes on September 29.The worst-ever Pakistani shelling targeting civil population took place on November 1 when eight persons, including two children and four women, were killed and 22 others injured along the International Border and the LoC in five sectors of J&K.

 

174 border schoolsto reopen today

• Despite fresh ceasefire violations on the LoC, the government on Monday ordered opening of 174 schools situated in the areas adjoining the International Border. Jammu DC Simranjit Singh on Monday ordered the reopening of schools in the border areas of Jammu from Tuesday. These schools were closed following the spike in tension between India and Pakistan post-September 29 surgical strikes in PoK.

Militant shot as Army fights off infiltrators in Nowgam

Srinagar, November 14

An unidentified militant was killed in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt on Monday. The militant was killed in a gunfight that erupted this afternoon close to the Line of Control at Nowgam.“The gunfight erupted around 1 pm when a group of militants was intercepted by the Army when they were trying to sneak into the Valley. In the ongoing operation, one militant has been killed so far and one weapon has been recovered,” an Army officer said. The Army has deployed additional forces for combing the area, the officer added.Since the surgical strikes on September 29, this is the third infiltration bid foiled in the Nowgam sector. On October 6, four militants were killed in the sector.This is the second infiltration bid in the past five days. On November 10, the Army had foiled an infiltration bid at Rampur in Uri, killing an militant. This year there has been a spurt in infiltration. Official figures reveal that 87 militants infiltrated into Kashmir till September-end. Last year, 33 militants had infiltrated. — TNS

Brakes in funds flow make dent in Kashmir terror trail

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 14

There is an assessment by the security agencies that demonetisation has started impacting terror activities, especially in the Valley, where nearly Rs 3,000 crore of ‘hawala’ money in circulation is of “no use” now.Sources in the security establishment believe that the move would lead to a major shift in the terror infrastructure management and change the character and nature of terror funding in the country. They also claim that the four-month-long unrest in the Valley, sparked by the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani by security forces in July, is receding and expected to end as the cash inflow has halted.Intelligence inputs have always been there that politicians and separatist leaders are being funded through hawala transactions to fuel protests in the Valley, sources said.According to several estimates by agencies, Pakistan has been pumping in Rs 800-1,000 crore annually for the separatist groups alone.“30 per cent of this fund is paid to the beneficiaries in US dollars in bank accounts abroad. Half of the 70 per cent funds used to be paid in original currency and the remaining in fake Indian currency,” an intelligence official said.Between 2013 and 2016, 17 cases were registered and 37 persons were arrested in terror-funding cases in J&K, mostly in hawala and FICN cases, sources added.Intelligence officials said that lack of hawala money inflow would also hit the activities of the Maoists and other insurgent groups in the northeastern states.

Unrest receding

• Nearly Rs 3,000 crore of ‘hawala’ money in circulation is of “no use” now after the demonitisation
• The four-month unrest in the Valley is receding and expected to end as the cash inflow has halted