Published by the Press, Information & Culture Wing, Embassy of India

In this Issue
(March 1999)

South Asia Region

India's Foreign Relations

Economy & Trade

Upcoming Events

Opinion - Arundhati Ghose

Feature: Tiger Conservation

Archives | Search | Index

In three separate militancy related incidents, 20 people of a particular Community were killed in the intervening night of 19^th/20^th February, 1999.

• The first incident took place at Balijalaran in Rajouri Police Station (DistrictRajouri). The militants attacked the house of a teacher around 2245 hrs. where a marriage ceremony had just concluded and fired indiscriminately with automatic weapons, killing five persons on the spot. The members of the Village Defence Committee retaliated and the militants fled away from the spot. Ten persons were also injured in the said incident, out of which two later succumbed to their injuries making a total of persons killed seven.
• In the second incident in the intervening night of 19^th/20^th February, 1999 at Morha Patta near Khudbani in Dharamsal Police Station (District Rajouri), four persons were killed when militants attacked a house at 0130 hrs. and started indiscriminate firing on persons who were sleeping in the house.
• The third incident took place at village Baryana in Arnas area in Police Station Reasi (District Udhampur) in the intervening night of 19^th/20^th February, 1999 where the militants fired indiscriminately on the inmates, after forcing entry into the house, killing nine persons and injuring one. On hearing the gunshots fired by militants, members of the Village Defence Committee of nearby Morha Village retaliated due to which the militants fled away from the spot taking advantage of darkness. The injured was shifted to Hospital for treatment.
• On 20.2.99, Minister for Education and Minister for Sheep Husbandry along with Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police visited Baljalaran village. On 21.2.99, the Chief Minister accompanied by Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, MP and Director General of Police followed by Divisional Commissioner visited Baryana village to take stock of the situation. Senior Police, Civil and BSF officers also visited Morha Patta on 20-21 February. The State Government and the district administration initiated prompt action in providing relief as well as additional security in these areas.
• Immediately on getting information about the incidents, a two member Team headed by a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs was also sent to Jammu and Kashmir. The team held discussions with various authorities of State Government and Security Forces and talked to the villagers at Balijalaran.
• Immediately on hearing about the incidents, the Security Forces launched extensive combing operations. Encounters took place resulting in the killing of 21 militants within five days of the massacres, 20^th to 24^th February. Due to sustained operations carried out by the Security Forces, a total of 51 militants were killed in Jammu division in the month of February.
• To further consolidate the situation, the State Government is working inter-alia on strengthening the Village Defence Committee System by providing them training and improved weaponry and communication equipment in select cases; increased frequency of patrolling by Security Forces of sensitive and vulnerable areas; clustering of minority population near their places of work for providing security, periodic visits by Senior State Government and Security Force Officers to remote and minority areas; and checking of infiltration of men, weapons and equipment. In addition, there is a constant monitoring of the security situation by the respective Unified Headquarters level at Jammu and at Srinagar. The situation is also monitored in the Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs at regular intervals. We would like to inform this August House, that the Government of India would continue to provide support to the State Government and the Security Forces in their efforts to tackle the militancy.

March 9, 1999