'Mongoloid' ultras across LoC worry forces
Nazir Masoodi
The Indian Express
June 20, 1999
Title: 'Mongoloid' ultras across LoC worry forces
Author: Nazir Masoodi
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 20, 1999
Heavily-Armed militants with 'Mongoloid' features have assembled at
various launching pads near the Line of Control (LoC) in
Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the cover of Pakistani artillery
shelling.
This likely new' dimension of insurgency in the Valley has left the
security agencies, who are investigating the origin of these
militants, a worried lot.
Sources said the ongoing Kargil skirmishes have inspired militants in
various training camps in PoK to infiltrate into the Kashmir Valley
and offer a 'Kargil-like fight' to security forces. "There was no
substantial loss to the intruders in Kargil even after the heavy
artillery and air strikes. This may have inspired the militants to
cross the LoC and intensify their subversive activities," sources
said.
A senior Army officer, however, said pre-emptive action by security
forces has thwarted the designs of militants and their mentors across
the LoC. He said recently, an infiltration bid in Machil sector was
foiled by the forces, in which three foreign militants were killed.
However, sources said the heavily armed group comprised 16-20
militants who engaged the Army and BSF in a week-long encounter. The
Army also suffered two casualties even as a BSF jawan was injured in
the fierce gun-battle.
Sources said around 200-250 militants are waiting at the launching
pads of Kail, Phulwali and Janwai near the LoC to sneak into this
side.
Doubts of a possible infiltration have reportedly been confirmed after
forces captured a militant during the Machil encounter. Sources said
the sector witnessed heavy infiltration last year when, in the second
half of 1998,54 militants were killed while crossing the LoC. This
year, at least five to seven groups have already succeeded in
infiltrating from the Machil sector. Sources said militants lying in
wait across the LoC seem to have their plans in place, given the
numerous underground bunkers they have constructed to save them from
any possible assault from the Indian side even as they try to
infiltrate under cover of Pakistani shelling.
Infiltrations from the Keran sector during the cross-border shelling
have also been reported. Sources said four militants, who were killed
in an encounter at Dard-bahak, Rationpora on June 17, were part of the
15-20 member infiltration group in Keran. However, security agencies
maintained the group had not crossed over recently but was already in
the area, and merely had fresh instructions to intensify their
activities.
A senior security forces officer said the 'Mongoloid' militants had
been spotted at Tajian, Dudniyal and various other launching pads near
the LoC. He said intelligence agencies had been asked to determine
the origin of the infiltrators with 'Mongoloid' features as also the
motives behind pushing them into Kashmir.
Sources said the security forces have been put on maximum alert along
the 265-km long LoC stretch in the frontier district of Kupwara -
about two-third of the entire LoC in the State.
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