Jammu and Kashmir Timeline - 2012

January 1

In a major decision aimed at phased removal of paramilitary personnel from Jammu and Kashmir, the State Government has taken up the issue with the Union Home Ministry for raising of 50 more police battalions for deployment in militancy and other trouble prone areas of the State to maintain law and order after withdrawal of the troopers.

Some separatist groups said they are not against talks with the Centre for resolution of the Kashmir issue but maintained that the Government needs to take certain steps before resumption of the dialogue process.

According to State Police, around 190 incidents were reported in 2011, the lowest in last 22 years of militancy in the State.

Ramban District is speedily moving towards "zero militancy" as only four militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) are currently active in the area.

Army Chief General V K Singh has opposed the withdrawal of the AFSPA from parts of Jammu and Kashmir anytime soon, saying this could result in the "emergence of terror sanctuaries and safe havens".

Asserting that J&K is heading towards prosperity, Minister for Health Services and Horticulture Sham Lal Sharma said a record number of tourists had visited the State last year. "The J-K government has been moving the state towards prosperity and the year 2011 remained peaceful and satisfactory...a record number of tourists visited the state," the Minister.

A civilian was killed and two others were injured in the firing over the protesters by the CISF personnel, who were guarding NHPC installation at Boniyar in Baramulla District.

Troubled by inflammatory and obscene postings on social networking sites, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is establishing three special Police Stations to fight cyber crime in the State.

A civilian was killed and two others were injured in the firing over the protesters by the CISF personnel, who were guarding NHPC installation at Boniyar in Baramulla District.

Troubled by inflammatory and obscene postings on social networking sites, the Jammu and Kashmir Police is establishing three special Police Stations to fight cyber crime in the State. The special cyber police stations will now be entrusted with the job of cracking down on hi-tech crimes relating to cyber frauds and inflammatory postings on social networking sites.

Jammu region recorded "zero infiltration" for the first time in 2011 despite several attempts along the Indo-Pak border, Police said, "2011 is the first year that has witnessed 'zero infiltration' (along Indo-Pak border). There has been no infiltration anywhere along the border in Jammu region," said Inspector General of Police (IGP, Jammu Zone) Dilbagh Singh. "There have been ceasefire violations. There have been dozens of infiltration attempts but they have not been successful," he added.

To a question about the state of militancy in Jammu region, Singh said, "It was the best year as far as security, militancy and peace are concerned."

Militants are also working on recruiting local youth in certain areas of the State, including Pulwama, to expand terror network and the task has been assigned to a person, Usman Bhai alias Chhota Rehman.

The LeT is raising a group of 21 female terrorists at its training camps in PoK for carrying out sabotage activities in India, Army sources said, "We have confirmed reports that LeT is imparting training to 21 selected female terrorists at its training facilities in Muzaffarabad in PoK for carrying out terrorist activities in India," an unnamed Army official said in New Delhi.

Army said the new group, named as Dukhtareen-e-Toiba, is planned to be made active in the Kashmir Valley by the LeT. The women terrorists are planned to be infiltrated into India through routes in Uri sector or using the aerial route through some other country.

DNA quoted sources as saying, "Inputs reveal that 21 girls are being trained by LeT at Divalia, Muzzafarabad, under the name of Dukhtaran-e-Toiba." The group, after training, has been placed under the command of an LeT 'commander', Sayeed Sadaqat Hussain, for future deployment in Kashmir, the sources added.

Intercepts indicate that the new front is being activated since the earlier formation of women DeM led by Asiya Andrabi has not been successful in mobilising people as it had in the past. According to reports, the sources said, the effort is to try and infiltrate these trained cadres into India either through the Uri sector or even Nepal.

Another training camp, according to other information, is located at Turbeladem in PoK in which over 400 terrorists in various groups are being trained and that the facility is being commanded by a senior officer of ISI. The sources said the ISI asked the LeT and other terror groups to carry out attacks against the Indian troops deployed on the LoC. These groups, the reports said, carried out reconnaissance in areas on the other side of the LoC facing the Indian forward defence locations.

An infiltrator was injured as injured as troops foiled Pakistani firing-backed infiltration bid of militants on the LoC at Tarkundi in Gambhir sector of Poonch District in the night. As many as 45 truce violations were reported in 2011 along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Nine Security Force personnel were killed and nearly 50 injured in various firing incidents along the border between 2008 and 2011.

Bandipora Police neutralized two militant modules, one each of LeT and HM, who were planning the target killings in the District.

Police neutralized an LeT module, believed to be planning target killings, operating in Sonawari area and arrested three militants, identified as Zahoor Ahmed Dar, Ghulam Muhammad Bhat and Nissar Ahmed Ganie.

Police in Anantnag busted a six member LeT module. Police said that the module was busted after the arrest of a youth, Younis Ahmad, of Arwani.

Police said that the module was involved in arranging and transportation of weapons and were also facilitating the movement of militants by providing them information regarding the movements of security forces in the area. The module had also succeeded in recruiting some youths into the militancy, said police. Police said that module was working at the behest of a LeT 'commander' of Pulwama and Kulgam.

Army fired in air to disperse protesters in the Baramulla District where people were protesting against the power crisis and had blocked the National Highway. This is the second time that Security Forces fired on people protesting against the power crisis.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said a decision on the lifting of the AFSPA from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir will be taken in the coming months.

The Kashmir Valley witnessed a complete shutdown against the January 3 killing of a 20-year-old youth at Boniyar in Baramulla District. The youth was allegedly shot dead by personnel of Central Industrial Security Force during a protest demonstration against electricity crisis.

The call for the strike was given by KEA, an amalgam of social organisations and trade bodies. Police foiled a protest march of JKLF and detained JKLF chairman Yasin Malik along with 12 associates at Lal Chowk in the morning.

A civilian was killed and five others including two Policemen were injured when militants carried out serial and well-coordinated attack against Police at Sopore town of Sopore District. In the firing between militants and police and CRPF, a shopkeeper Mehrajudin Hajjam was killed on the spot.

Troops of 38 Rashtriya Rifles and SOG recovered a consignment of explosive devices from village Sanjot in Mendhar tehsil (revenue unit) of Poonch District.

One militant was also injured in the earlier reported January 7 serial and coordinated attacks by militants, targeting Policemen, which killed a civilian and injured five persons, three civilians and two Policemen, in the Sopore area of Baramulla District.

The DPC on warned of countrywide protests if the Government reopens supply routes for allied forces stationed in neighbouring Afghanistan. The DPC, which comprises the JI, JuD, Frontal organisation of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and others, made the demand in a joint declaration adopted at a meeting between the top leadership in Islamabad.

DGP Kuldeep Khoda said, "There is an urgent need for strengthening of the security grid and ensure that the peace prevails across Jammu and Kashmir". He stressed the need to speed up the rate of finalising the cases and bring the criminals of justice.

The Army said that Security Forces had foiled numerous infiltration attempts and terrorists were on the run with their leadership eliminated to a great extent in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BSF fired few shots at forward village of Bakarpur near Octroi post on the International Border in RS Pura sector of Jammu District after observing suspicious movement across the border.

The report of three Interlocutors appointed by the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be taken up by the CCS in its meeting next week, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said. Asked whether he had examined the report, he said, "Yes, I studied it." The Interlocutors - Dileep Padgaonkar, M M Ansari and Radha Kumar-submitted their report on October 12, 2011 after visiting the State and taking all shades of opinion.

Police cracked a major network of militants and FICN suppliers with the arrest of six persons, including a SPO and a woman in Poonch District. According to sources, some FICNs, SIM cards and arms have been recovered from the possession of arrested persons. The arrested persons include, a SPO posted at Chakan-Da-Bagh and identified as Mohammad Rafiq alias Rafi, Bashir Akhter, Kareem Khan, Altaf Ahmed and the woman arrestee Parveen Akhter. They were arrested on the disclosures of one Mohammad Hafiz who had been arrested from his house in Surankote few days back by Srinagar Police as his name had surfaced in interrogation of the arrested militants.

MHA in a meeting has asked the State Government to take measures to free more Districts from militancy in 2012 especially those where militancy related incidents were confined to single digit during 2011. The State has already declared five Districts completely free of militancy.

The Home Ministry noted with satisfaction that militancy related incidents had gone down from 368 in 2010 to 195 in 2011. On infiltration from both LoC and IB, it was viewed that infiltration had been low in 2011 as compared to 2010 though the number of attempts made during 2011 by the militants to intrude into this side hadn't gone down.

About 31 out of the total 67 projects sanctioned for the State as a part of the sanctioned PMRP have been completed and work was going on at a faster place in the remaining projects. This has been stated in the latest Progress Monitoring Report regarding the implementation of Reconstruction Plan, which is being monitored jointly by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Planning Commission.

Mohammad Rafiq alias Rafi, the SPO arrested along with five others, was reportedly engaged in espionage. There were reports that he had developed contacts with Pakistan Army, ISI and militant 'commanders' of LeT and HM during his stay in Pakistan, before returning to India and joining the services. This aspect was, however, yet to be confirmed by Police.

Parveen Akhter, wife of Mohammad Azam of Mendhar in Poonch District, has turned out to be another woman militant with confirmed involvement of her links with a Pakistan based militant of LeT outfit, also named as Mohammad Azam.

Three militants, allegedly involved in several incidents including an attack on an Army trooper in Bandipora District, were arrested.

DIG, North Kashmir Muneer Ahmad Khan said that there is 90 percent decline in militancy in Bandipora District but added that the militants in the District are using hi-tech devices and travel to Pakistan to get the training in handling them. He said Police in December 2011 arrested two militants who had recently returned from Pakistan after getting training in handling the hi-tech gadgets.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lieutenant General K T Parnaik said that nearly 2,500 militants were camping in terrorist training camps in Pakistan and PoK.

Intensifying its drive to curb terror funding, the Union Government has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Police as well as the Enforcement Directorate to seek help from the RBI in monitoring transfer of funds meant for separatist groups for alleged anti-national activities, including disturbing peace in the State. The Union Home Ministry recently convened a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary R K Singh in Delhi where broad contours of terror financing were discussed, official sources said.

With the recovery of 120 fake driving licenses and SIM cards issued on the fake documents/ I-cards during a raid at a shop in Rajouri town in Rajouri District, the Police suspect the SIMs have gone to militants.

The Union Government has decided to withdraw 52 companies of paramilitary from Jammu and Kashmir for deployment in five poll bound States. Withdrawal of the companies would start immediately and completed in a week's time. This has been conveyed to the State Government. An equal number of companies would be returned after elections are over in five States.

Police seized FICNs worth INR 50,000 from outside Jammu and Kashmir Bank's Lasaana branch at Surankote in Poonch District but the accused, who was carrying it, managed to escape from the spot. The accused was identified as Mohammad Aslam. The FICNs were in denomination of INR 500.

DP with the help of their local counterparts arrested two persons from Narwal in Poonch District connection with a FICN busted recently by the DP's Special Cell on January 12. The racket had links in Pakistan. The arrested persons were identified as Ghulam Ahmed Khawaja and Yaqoob Ali.

Two persons, identified as Ghulam Ahmed Khawaja and Yaqoob Ali, who were arrested from Jammu District on January 17, were remanded in Police custody till January 25.

Parveena, a resident of Poonch District, who was arrested on January 13, job was to courier the weapons to militants after they were smuggled into Poonch from across the LoC. "She figured in the trans-border smuggling. She also has some militant relatives living across (the LoC. We are trying to identify them", said Ashkoor Wani, Senior Superintendent of Police (Poonch). "When militancy was not here dozens of illicit weapons were coming (into Poonch). We are looking into Parveena links", said Wani.

Security agencies have been put on a high alert after IB warned the Delhi Police last week that a LeT operative, identified as one Rehman, may have gained entry into the city to carry out a terror strike during the upcoming Republic Day (January 26) celebrations.

SFs shot dead LeT 'commander', Abrar Khan alias Abu Mavia alias Abu Wasim alias Mistry, hailing from Pakistan, in an encounter at Khaneti Mohalla in Salwa area of Mendhar in Poonch District.

In yet another cross border terror link has been established between cross- LoC traders and Pakistan based militant 'commanders' and ISI with disclosures that an arrested trader had smuggled INR 22.4 million worth FICNs hidden between fabric clothes from Poonch to Jammu on way to New Delhi in Samparak Kranti Express.

The JuD said that the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan will attend its Difa-e-Pakistan (Defence of Pakistan) rally to be held in Multan District of Punjab Province on January 29, 2012. JuD leaders said the Difa-e-Pakistan gathering would also be attended by JeI chief Munawar Hassan and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and leaders of other religious and political parties.

The movement was launched shortly after a cross-border November 26, 2011, NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. During rallies and meetings organised as part of the movement, leaders of the JuD and other extremist groups have mainly targeted the US and India.

Police arrested three OGWs of the LeT from Handwara in Kupwara District. The arrestees were identified as Mohammad Rafiq, Aabid Hussain Rather and Abdul Rashid Khoja. Police said that these OGWs were arrested while they were coercing the inhabitants of Muqam and Hindwanpora villages to donate money for the LeT outfit. Police said five letter pads of LeT outfit were recovered from them.

A Delhi court will hear arguments taking cognizance of the charge sheet filed by NIA against Pakistani-American LeT operative David Coleman Headley and eight others including JuD chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and LeT militant Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi. Headley and others are charged with planning and executing terror strikes in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

Three persons, including a SPO Mohammad Rafiq alias Rafi and a woman Parveen Akhter, have been sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC, Jammu) by Poonch Police for sustained questioning in connection with a suspected espionage racket and links with militants in Pakistan.

The leaders of the PDC, comprising of 44 politico-religious parties of the country gathered at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi in a rally against what they called the anti-Pakistan forces. "Al-Jihad, Al-Jihad" (the holy war, the holy war) slogans rose from the crowd in response to every fiery claim by orators who warned against the 'grand conspiracies' being hatched by the 'enemies of Pakistan'.

Police arrested a surrendered militant while two other former militants were reported to have joined the militant cadre after killing a SPO, Mohammad Hanief, on December 10, 2011 and taking away his AK-47 rifle in upper reaches of Thathri in Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir.

A PDP worker was found dead in the Chadoora area of Budgam District.

Unidentified militants shot dead a businessman, Aijaz Ahmad Shah (40) inside his house at village Shubdani-Newa in Pulwama District.

SFs recovered a large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive material during two different search operations conducted in Budhal and Thanna Mandi areas of Rajouri District. The seizure belonged to LeT and HM outfits.

SFs conducted search operation in Budhal and recovered one AK-47 rifle, three AK magazines, four Pakistan made grenades, two I Com radio sets, one Kenwood radio set, one portable radio set, 11 detonators, two maps, one tarpoline, one bag and some accessories used in fabricating explosive material. In another search operation at Thanna Mandi, the SFs recovered two Chinese pistols with two magazines and 10 rounds, three shells, 14 PIKA rounds, 245 AK-47 rounds, two hand grenades, two AK-47 magazines, one solar light plate, two Nokia mobile handsets, one stove, one medicine packet and one mobile telephone charger.

A Pakistani intruder was shot dead by the troops along Indo-Pakistan international border in Pargwal island of Akhnoor Sector of Jammu.

For the first time, the Pakistani Rangers accepted body of the intruder.

Investigations by the Jammu and Kashmir Police have found that "officials of an intelligence agency" had provided a Chinese pistol to a surrendered militant, who later used it to kill a SPO.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he has continuously advocated revocation of the laws which have been imposed in the State with the Start of militancy and would continue to do so.

Militants hurled a grenade on an Army convoy in Baramulla town of Baramulla District.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested one Mohammad Rafiq (27) from Poonch District.

SFs again launched a massive search operation in upper reaches of Marwah in Kishtwar District for three absconding militants, who were wanted by NIA in connection with September 7, 2011 blast outside Delhi High Court.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reiterated his stand for setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Jammu and Kashmir to "restore confidence" of people.

Police neutralized a LeT module in the Pattan area of Baramulla District.

Police arrested a militant of TuM, Fayaz Ahmed Magray, from Kreeri area Kashmir and recovered arms and ammunition from him.

HM has claimed responsibility for the attack on Lieutenant General Bikram Singh in 2001 when he was a Brigadier in South Kashmir.

A study titled 'Perception survey of media impact on the Kashmiri youth' conducted by New Delhi-based IRIIS, sponsored by Union Ministry of Home Affairs, in the aftermath of street demonstration and violence has revealed that Kashmiri youth in age group of 15-35 years, were far more concerned over governance issues than separatist politics.