Forces step up operations to nab infiltrators

Two security personnel and three militants were killed in a fresh spate of violence across Jammu and Kashmir as militants attacked a BSF convey in Handwara on Saturday. This is a second attack in the border town of Handwara by the militants, who had earlier attacked a police station.

Kashmir valley is witnessing a spurt in militant activities this winter, with the Army and security forces re-activating their anti-militancy grid, killing some militants in the past one week. The Army said they have foiled two fresh attempts of infiltration on Thursday in Gulmarg and Nowgam sectors of North Kashmir.

In north-west Bandipora, two militants and one Army jawan were  killed in a gunbattle. Militants attacked the police at district police lines of Kulgam in South Kashmir, killing two jawans on the spot and injuring another on Friday.

The police said that there is a heavy presence of militants in South Kashmir, adding that combing operations were being conducted for area domination and to push the militants away from the localities. The continuous unrest of 140 days with protests at a number of places after Friday prayers has shown that the government has not been able to bring peace on the streets despite the continuous spree of arrests. In the past one week, police in nocturnal raids has arrested over a hundred youth and has slapped PSAs on a dozen of them, reports said.

In a bid to normalise the situation the state government on Friday allowed Friday prayers in the grand mosque of Srinagar, but did not allow Mirwaiz Omar Farooq to attend it. Pro-freedom protests were witnessed in the entire downtown Srinagar after Friday prayers. The Army spokesman in Srinagar told the media that there has been a sharp increase in infiltration bids from across the border before snowfall starts enveloping all important passes.