Jammu and Kashmir Timeline - 2009

January 1

Two Army soldiers and a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) 'area commander' were killed in a gun-battle at Bhati Dhar forests in the Chatral area of Mendhar sub-division in Poonch District while a group of five militants was still trapped in the area. Official sources said troops of Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group personnel had cordoned off Bhati Dhar forests two days back after receiving specific information that a group of six JeM militants had taken shelter there. In the evening of January 1, the militants reportedly opened fire on Army personnel, who retaliated. In the subsequent encounter between the two sides which continued for more than two hours, two soldiers and JeM 'area commander' Abdul Gul were killed.

January 2

Four top militants of the JeM were killed in a fierce three-day long gun-battle at Bhati Dhar forests in the Mendhar tehsil (revenue division) of Poonch District. While two Army soldiers and a militant were killed on January 1, three militants were killed on January 2. Official sources said bodies of two soldiers, who were missing in the encounter, were recovered in the morning of January 2. They have been identified as Subedar Rakesh Kumar Singh and Naik K. P. Singh. While one of the militants was killed in the night of January 1 after he came out of the hideout firing on the Army personnel, his three associates were killed on January 2 when their hideout was blasted with a powerful bomb. A large quantity of arms, ammunition, explosives, wireless set, mobile telephones and literature was also destroyed along with the hideout.

Two Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) militants, including a foreigner, were killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) in the Sopore area of Baramulla District. While one of the slain militants was identified as Bashir Ahmad Malla, a local militant, the other militant was believed to be a foreigner whose identity was being ascertained. Two AK rifles were recovered from their possession.

A retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, Muzaffar Shah, has been detained by Police from Bhati Dhar in the Poonch District for helping the militants in taking shelter in the area.

SFs recovered two pistols, three magazines and 30 rounds during a search operation at Bandi Chechian in the Poonch District.

January 3

A Special Police Officer (SPO), Naresh Kumar, was killed in the continuing encounter between SFs and two absconding Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants at Bhati Dhar forests in the Mendhar tehsil of Poonch District. With the killing of SPO, the death toll in the three-day long encounter has reached seven.

Troops of the 141 battalion of Border Security Force shot dead a Pakistani militant while he was infiltrating into the forward area of Kharkola under RS Pura sector.

January 5

While an encounter between the SFs and militants in Bein forests of Bhati Dhar in Poonch District entered the sixth day, two SF personnel sustained splinter injuries in the intermittent firing by the holed up militants. The militants, who are at the position on higher peaks of the densely forested mountainous belt of Bhati Dhar, are reportedly firing intermittently mostly during the night and early hours. Three SF personnel and four militants have been killed so far in the encounter that began on January 1.

January 8

The ten-day long operation by the SFs which targeted about a dozen commanders of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit in Bhati Dhar forests of Mendhar in Poonch District came to an abrupt end in the evening of January 8 with all militants managing to escape. Army sources confirmed that the operation has been called off and all militants, who were being searched for last 10 days, might have escaped. "The operation, which had started on December 30 afternoon in dense Bhati Dhar forests, is off. All militants were reported to have escaped taking advantage of rugged terrain and prevailing climatic conditions in the area", they said. This was the longest ever anti-militancy operation in Jammu region in two decades. Reports had been indicating presence of eight to 10 Pakistani commanders of the JeM, including Abu Dawood and Babbar, in cave hide-outs converted into permanent shelter place by the militants using boulders inside the dense Bhati Dhar forests.

Police arrested two more civilians taking the total number of arrests made from Bhati Dhar surroundings for helping JeM militants in converting cave hide-outs into bunkers to four. The two civilians were identified as Mohammed Bashir and Mohammed Iqbal, both residents of village Thera in Bhati Dhar. Earlier, Police had arrested a retired Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police and a woman for assisting the militants.

Army seized an improvised explosive device weighing 20 kilograms and some ammunition from Bela forest in the Rajouri District.

Police said it has arrested two over-ground workers of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit from Khalloen in Pulwama District and recovered arms and ammunition from their possession. A Police spokesman said the duo has been identified as Abdul Hanan Najar and Shabir Ahmad Bhat. One hand grenade, 15 rounds of AK ammunition, a tent of foreign-make and three woolen blankets were recovered from their possession.

January 12

Nasir Safi Mir, alleged to be the 'financial brain' behind All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and other separatist leaders, has managed to flee the country after getting a forged passport from a southern State even as Delhi Police claimed that they were still looking for him, Daily Excelsior reported. According to sources in central security agencies, Mir against whom a non-bailable warrant was issued, had allegedly bribed some officials of a southern State and made his passport after which he took a route to Nepal and then to Europe. From Europe he was reported to have flown to Libya before finally reaching Dubai, sources said. Mir, was earlier arrested by Delhi Police in February 2006 while ferrying INR 5500000 from a Delhi-based jeweler along with some explosives, but had jumped parole which he had got after several requests made by his family to the court citing medical problems. The 38-year-old Dubai-based businessman, who owns a carpet showroom and money exchange firms in Gulf, had been regularly reporting to the nearest police station till October 2008, but after that he did not turn up either at the police station nor on the hearing date of the court. According to recent technical intercepts, Mir allegedly spoke to the separatist leadership after reaching Dubai.

Two hardcore militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfits and two Police personnel were killed during an encounter at Lallu Khetar in the Kalakote area of Rajouri District. Inspector General of Police (Jammu), K. Rajendra, said a team of Special Striking Reserve and Police launched a search operation at Lallu Khetar at 3.30 pm (IST) after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area. In the ensuing encounter that lasted for approximately 90 minutes two militants and two Policemen, Mushtaq Ahmed and Nissar Hussain, were killed. At least two militants managed to escape taking cover of the forest area. The slain militants have been identified as Ashfaq, a HM 'commander', and Abu Talha, a LeT 'commander'. Two AK-56 rifles, two magazines, 37 rounds, four hand grenades, one radio set, one mobile telephone and several incriminating documents were recovered from the incident site.

Police arrested two over-ground workers of the LeT from Upper Thathri area of Doda District and recovered INR 20,000 worth Hawala money besides four SIM cards of two private telecom companies from them. They have been identified as Waseem Raza and Najam-ud-Din Gujjar.

Mohammad Ahsan Dar, a top militant and one of the founders of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), was arrested by Police in the Bandipora district. Dar, a close associate of Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin, was co-ordinating activities of the LeT, HM, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG, North Kashmir), Abdul Gani Mir, said in Baramulla. Acting on specific information that Dar had returned from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and was co-ordinating the activities of different militant outfits, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested him in the early hours while he was trying to sneak into Sumbal area from his home town Pattan, he said. Dar, self-styled chief commander of Muslim Mujahideen, offered no resistance while being arrested, Mir said.

Police recovered a consignment of explosive devices and ammunition during a search operation from Kawarian forests under the jurisdiction of Poonch Police station. The seizure included two Chinese grenades, one Chinese pistol with one magazine and 323 rounds of AK-47 rifle. Police conducted searches in the forests but no arrests were made, official sources said.

A suspected Al-Badr 'commander' was killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) in the Handwara area of Kupwara District. Official sources said the slain militant was identified as self-styled commander Abu Tamim. One AK 47 rifle, five AK magazines, 80 AK rounds, one pouch, two Chinese grenades and one satellite phone were recovered from his possession.

Police arrested four over-ground workers of the HM from the Kangan area of Ganderbal District. They were identified as Sonaullah Bhat, Reyaz Ahmad Bhat, Manzoor Ahmad Khan and Javeed Ahmad Khan.

A HM 'commander', identified as Wasim Malik, who was involved in the January 26, 1995 serial blasts inside the MA stadium in Jammu and who had been bailed out by the court after his surrender in 2006, was re-arrested by Police from Kishtwar town.

The Army's Northern Command chief said in Akhnoor that cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir has been on a decline since 2004, but approximately 600 to 800 militants are active in the State. "About 600 to 800 militants are active in Jammu and Kashmir as per the assessment of various security agencies," General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen P. C. Bhardwaj, told reporters. He also said militants and their leadership are under severe pressure due to the neutralization of their top cadres. Due to this cumulative effect, 335 militants have been killed in joint operations during 2008, he added. Referring to cross-border infiltration, General Bhardwaj said, "Infiltration is on decline since 2004 due to multi-tier deployment of security we have taken along LoC."

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba 'commander' was arrested by Police from Sartangal bazaar in the Bhaderwah town of Doda district. Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Singh said Imtiyaz Ahmed alias Saidullah was detained by a Police party which identified him while roaming in the market. Saidullah is a close associate of LeT 'district chief' Ashiq Hussain. From his possession, Police recovered one Chinese pistol, one HE-36 grenade and six pistol rounds.

The outlawed Lashkar-e-Toiba announced on January 18 it would support a peaceful and democratic struggle to liberate Kashmir. In a statement issued in Srinagar, capital of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, LeT spokesman Abdullah Gaznavi said his group took up arms when the world did not respond to the Kashmiris' peaceful struggle for more than four decades. "If the world listens to our cries and plays its role in resolving the Kashmir issue, there is no point in continuing fighting," he said. "Our struggle is only confined to Kashmir and we have no relations or association with armed groups operating at the international level. We have no global agenda. We just want the freedom of Kashmir and if it comes though peaceful means, we will welcome it," he stated. He said the groups did not believe that an armed struggle was the only way to achieve political objectives. According to him: "We had only responded to the cries of our Kashmiri brethren and had no choice but to call the world's attention to their suffering through arms… If the world listens to our appeals and the Kashmir issue is resolved, there will be no reason for us to fight."

Police in the Doda District shot dead two top militants of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit, including a 'tehsil commander', in Batyas forests under the jurisdiction of Gandoh Police station and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition from their possession. Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhat Singh said a Police party was conducting searches in Batyas forests for the last three days after receiving specific information that top HM militants have developed hideouts there. The militants, who had taken shelter in a natural hideout, opened fire on the Police personnel, who retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, the two militants, identified as 'tehsil commander' Zahoor Ahmed Khandey alias Basir alias Salman and Sajjad Ahmed, were killed. Recoveries made from their possession include two AK-56 rifles, three magazines, 17 rounds, one radio set, one mobile telephone, two hand grenades and a large quantity of ration, incriminating documents etc.

Police detained two suspected LeT operatives, including a Sikh youth, from the Handwara area of Kupwara District and recovered two hand grenades from their possession. Police detained Riaz Ahmad, a resident of Chogal in Handwara, following specific information that he was working with the LeT and was in possession of some arms, ammunition and explosives. Official sources said Riaz revealed, during interrogation, that he had handed over some hand grenades to a Sikh youth, Popinder Singh, who lives in his locality. Singh was later detained for questioning.

January 24

Two suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were shot dead by SF personnel during an encounter in the Handwara area of Kupwara District. "Two militants were killed in a joint operation by Police and Army at Shah Nagri in Handwara," official sources said. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

January 25

Personnel of the Border Security Force foiled an attempt by a suspected suicide squad of around four LeT militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Indian side of the border under Kanachak sector of Jammu District. After an encounter, militants reportedly managed to exfiltrate into Pakistan.

A militant hideout was neutralised and a consignment of arms and explosives recovered by the SFs in Dhara Mangot forests under Thannamandi Police Station in the Rajouri District. The recoveries included one AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 90 rounds, one pistol with two magazines and 100 rounds, one I Com set, two Chinese hand grenades and two blankets.

An underground hideout of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit was neutralised by the SFs at Wagan near Sher Bibi area in the Ramban District. A large quantity of HM literature, LPG cylinders, utensils and other belongings of the militants were recovered from the hideout.

January 27

During an encounter at Bakihara village in the Handwara area of Kupwara District, one militant was killed. At least two militants were suspected to be holed up in the SFs cordon.

January 28

LeT 'commander' Abu Hamza was killed in a 16-hour gun-battle in the Amargarh area of Sopore town in Baramulla District. Official sources said Hamza was holed up inside the house of one Akbar Lone since the evening of January 27 when the area was cordoned off by the SFs following specific information about his presence in the village. One soldier, identified as Sohan Lal Sharma of the Rashtriya Rifles (52nd Battalion), was also killed in the encounter and another soldier was injured in the initial firing by the slain militant. One AK 47 rifle and four AK magazines were recovered from the encounter site.

Another Lashkar 'commander' Abu Abdul Rehman was killed by the SFs in the Bakihara area of Handwara in Kupwara District. Four SF personnel were wounded in the encounter.

An encounter took place between the SFs and militants in the Ayatmullah area of Bandipora District. Two unidentified militants and a trooper were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides. The SFs had moved to the village following specific information about presence of militants in the house of one Abdul Aziz Lone at Lone Mohalla locality of the village.

January 29

SFs arrested two over-ground workers (OGW) of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) during an operation in the Pulwama District. A police spokesman said in capital Srinagar that "A joint party of Pulwama Police, 55 Rashtriya Rifles and 182 Bn CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force] apprehended two OGWs of Hizbul Mujahideen at bus stand in Pulwama district town." He said the duo have been identified as Abdul Qayoom Rah and Mohammad Maqbool Dar. One Pistol, four rounds and one grenade were recovered from their possession.

February 1

Three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed in a 10-hour long encounter with the SFs in the forest area of Handwara in Kupwara District. A joint team of the Special Operations Group of Police and troops of Rashtriya Rifles launched search operations in the forest area of Wadar Bala in the early hours following specific information about presence of militants in the area. In the ensuing encounter three unidentified militants were killed. Two AK-56, one AK-47, one pistol, nine magazines and large quantity of ammunition besides ration and logistic materials were recovered from the hideout, which is perched in a snowbound area at a height of 2700 meters above sea level, said a Defence spokesman.

February 2

Police arrested a 'district commander' of the Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami (HuJI) outfit and recovered arms and ammunition from his possession in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar District. Reports said a Police party intercepted HuJI 'district commander' Mohammed Abdullah alias Dulla Bakerwal alias Jameel at Watsar Chatroo. After a brief encounter, the militant is reported to have surrendered. From his possession, Police recovered one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, seven rounds, one wireless set, one grenade, two magazines and 30 pistol rounds. Dulla Bakerwal was the last surviving HuJI 'commander' in Kishtwar.

February 3

Four Police personnel were injured in a militant attack on the office of Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sumbal in Bandipora District. Militants hurled a grenade towards the office of the SDPO Sumbal at around 7.15 pm, which exploded in the compound of the office, injuring two constables and two Special Police Officers.

Police arrested two suspected militants, Ahsan Maqbool Bhat and Aijaz Ahmad Hajam, from the Handwara area of Kupwara District. Two AK rifles, two magazines and 60 rounds were recovered from their possession.

February 5

Several banned militant groups met in Muzaffarabad, the Pakistan occupied Kashmir capital, and pledged to continue the jihad to "liberate" Kashmir from India. The meeting was organised by a previously unknown group, Tehreek-e-Azadi Jammu and Kashmir, on the eve of "Kashmir Solidarity Day" observed on February 5. Groups affiliated to the United Jihad Council (UJC), the umbrella organisation of more than a dozen militant outfits, were in attendance including the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM). The meeting took place at Chattar, a neighbourhood that reportedly houses Government offices, top Government functionaries and political VIPs. The local administration did not prevent the event, held under a tent on a main road. However, there was no comment from the Pakistan Government on the meeting.

February 9

Army personnel shot dead a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant after a brief encounter at Kalihand Top in the Doda District. The slain militant was identified as Bashir Ahmed, a 22 year-old resident of Tantna in the same District. One Self Loading Rifle and two magazines were recovered from his possession. Bashir Ahmed was reportedly operating in different parts of Doda for the last one and a half years.

Police arrested Muzaffar Ahmad Dar, the 'chief operations commander' of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit, from a locality near Kashmir University in the Hazratbal area of capital Srinagar. "J&K Police has achieved a major success in its drive in anti-terrorist operations with the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen chief operations commander Muzaffar Ahmad Dar from Sadrabal area of the city near Kashmir University," the Inspector General of Police (Kashmir), B. Srinivas, told reporters at a press conference. Srinivas said Dar, who was operating under various aliases like Gaznavi, Mohammad Ali and ''One Nine'', was arrested around 3.30 p.m. A resident of Chichlora in the Pattan area of Baramulla District, 38 year-old Dar joined the HM in the early 1990''s. Srinivas said "Over the years, he has masterminded several terrorist activities including the blast at Narbal in July 2008 in which security forces suffered losses. He had been actively involved in financing the terrorist activities of Hizb."

Police arrested a Government official of the Rural Development Department for his connections with the HM outfit from village Shagla Koti in the Doda District. The accused has been identified as Ghulam Hassan, a resident of Shagla Koti. Police said Hassan was on way to meet HM militant Abu Akasha alias Khalid in the upper reaches of Doda to pay him monthly contribution of INR 4000 when he was arrested.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba said it has no plans of expanding its operations to the United States or Britain and the outfit posed no threat to Western World. "The CIA report issued after Mumbai attacks which describes Lashkar-e-Toiba as a threat to the US and Britain is baseless, misleading and far from truth. CIA should not get swayed by the Indian propaganda," LeT spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi said in a tele-statement. Ghaznavi claimed the LeT had no network in the US or the UK and has no intention of starting armed actions in these countries. "We have made it clear time and again that LeT had no role in the Mumbai attacks. India wants to sabotage the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people by getting it labeled as terrorism at international level," he said.

February 13

A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant was killed while another militant managed to escape during an encounter with the SFs in the Dangiwacha area of Baramulla District. The slain militant was identified as Riyaz Ahmed Bhat alias Chachu, the sources said adding one AK rifle, one magazine, 20 rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the incident site.

February 14

A huge cache of explosive devices and ammunition concealed inside large boulders and wrapped in polythene was recovered by the Army and Police during a joint search operation at Chandrosi forest in the Poonch District. The seizure included 13 Chinese grenades, 18 UBGL grenades, 18 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonators, eight meters wire, three fuses, 292 AK rounds, two AK magazines, one Pika belt with five rounds, one large size antenna and one wireless set.

SFs neutralized two militant hideouts in the Bandipora and Kupwara Districts, recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition. "During search operation Police and BSF [Border Security Force] busted a hideout in Paner forests falling under jurisdiction of Police Station Bandipora last evening," a Police spokesman said. He said one pistol, two pistol magazines, seven AK magazines, 452 AK rounds, nine UBGL shells, one hand grenade, 44 rounds of Universal Machine Gun belt ammunition, five wireless sets and one pouch were recovered from the spot. The spokesman said another hideout was neutralized in the snow-bound Kachhama forest area in Kupwara District and three rockets, one wireless set, two pistols, two pistol rounds, four hand grenades, two AK magazines, 110 AK rounds, 29 sniper rounds and one improvised explosive device were recovered, he said.

February 17

SFs have arrested six suspected militants in three separate operations in the Baramulla and Srinagar Districts and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from their possession. SFs arrested three militants from the Kreeri area of Baramulla District and seized four Improvised Explosive Devices and a pistol from their possession. The arrested persons were identified as Fayaz Ahmad War, Mohammad Jamaal Shiekh alias Sher Khan, and Aijaz Ahmad Mir.

Police arrested two suspected militants from the Sopore area of Baramulla District and recovered two hand grenades, one AK magazine, 30 rounds and some cash from their possession.

Police arrested a suspect from the Kanipora village in Nowgam area on the outskirts of Srinagar city. One hand grenade, one pistol and eight rounds were recovered from the possession of the suspect.

A "brief statement'''' on "activities and achievements'''' of the Ministry of Defence released on February 17 mentioned that the Army killed 330 terrorists and arrested 172 others in Jammu and Kashmir in 2008, while it neutralised 717 United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants in Assam. Moreover, relentless operations by the Army and Assam Rifles in Manipur led to 209 militants of various outfits being killed, and another 863 being arrested, during the year. The statement also mentioned that the Army''s counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir successfully targeted the terrorist leadership, killing 60 middle-level leaders during 2008.

February 18

February 19

SFs arrested a LeT militant from Guder village in the Kulgam District and recovered a hand grenade from his possession. A Police spokesman said the arrested militant has been identified as Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Ukai in Kulgam.

Mumbai was one of the 320 worldwide locations on the list of potential targets for commando-style terror strikes, The Guardian reported. The report suggested that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the outlawed terrorist group that planned much of the attack from Pakistan, "had ambitions well beyond causing mayhem in India". "Western intelligence agencies have accessed the computer and email account of Lashkar’s communications chief, Zarar Shah, and found a list of possible targets, only 20 of which were in India," Guardian reported. Two of the November 2008 attack’s key planners – Shah and Lashkar’s operations chief, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi – are now in police custody in Pakistan, it said.

February 23

An over-ground worker of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was arrested from Yaripora in the Kulgam District. Some explosives and two hand grenades were recovered from his possession.

March 1

A Special Police Officer (SPO), Fallail Singh, was shot dead by militants at Kastigarh in the Doda District. Official sources said the SPO had been attached with the Rashtriya Rifles (10th Battalion) and was on a ‘secret mission’ to locate a hideout of the militants in the upper reaches of Kastigarh when he was abducted by militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit in the evening. He was subsequently shot dead in captivity and the militants escaped with his weapon.

March 3

The Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, have set up a dedicated communication network inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence sources said in New Delhi, reported Indian Express. "Dedicated communication towers have been set up in Tum, Nikral, Samani and Zaffarwal in PoK for assistance to terrorists operating in Poonch, Rajauri, Naushera and Kathua regions respectively," intelligence sources said. The communication network developed in PoK includes wireless radio communication for point-to-point basis using radio sets. "With the help of these radio sets, similar to the ones used by our troops, terrorists communicate with their contacts in India and also with their handlers sitting across the border," Pakistan Army sources revealed. The revelation from intelligence agencies comes after the chargesheet of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack named Colonel Sadatullah of the Pakistan Army as an accused. Sadatullah was allegedly in touch with the terrorists involved during the Mumbai attack.

March 9

SFs shot dead two militants of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit in Battas-Dharam area under the jurisdiction of Gool Police Station in Ramban District. An official spokesman said that another militant, believed to be a foreigner, managed to escape from the incident site under the cover of darkness. The slain militants have been identified as Abdul Majid, a resident of Asthan, and Mohammed Altaf, a resident of Bhimdessa Gool. From the encounter site, the troops also recovered one 303 rifle with magazine, two 303 cartridges, one pouch, one Sniper gun with magazine, half kilograms of RDX and some grenades. The spokesman said that the 303 gun recovered from the encounter site was looted by the militants from Ind Police Post.

March 10

A village chief was killed by some unidentified militants in the Mahore area of Reasi District. "A group of some unidentified militants barged into the house of village Sarpanch Noor Hussain, son of Dulla Khan of village Lancha in tehsil [revenue division] Mahore… Critically injured Noor Hussain was immediately shifted to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries," Police sources said.

Three top militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, including a Pakistani national, were shot dead by a combined force of the Army and Police during an encounter at village Sarwa in Keshwan area of Kishtwar District.

Two LeT militants were shot dead by troops in a separate encounter at Handwara in the Kupwara District. Two AK-47 rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

March 15: An unidentified Pakistani infiltrator was shot dead by the troops of Border Security Force (BSF) on the India-Pakistan International Border in R. S. Pura sector. "On seeing a suspicious movement near Kot Kuba Border Outpost (BoP) last night at around 2300 hrs, the troops of BSF 110 Bn challenged the infiltrator, while he was attempting to enter into the Indian territory," a spokesman said, adding when he tried to escape despite warnings, the troops opened fire and killed him.

March 20

March 22

The gun battle between infiltrators and Army in the forests of Kupwara District entered its fourth day as SFs shot dead five more militants while four soldiers also died, taking the death toll in the ongoing operation to 19. "A total of 11 militants have been killed in the operation so far which began in the early hours of Friday in Chowkibal area near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district," a Defence spokesman said in capital Srinagar. He said while two militants were killed in early morning firefight, three more were shot dead in the afternoon. Four soldiers were also killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides. "Five militants and four soldiers were killed in today''s gun fight alone," he added.

Unidentified militants shot dead a civilian, Manzoor Waza, while he was asleep inside his house in the Bandipora town during the intervening night of March 22 and 23. One empty cartridge was recovered from the incident site.

March 24

Six militants were killed in the fresh exchange of fire between the militants and SFs in the forests near the LoC in Kupwara District as the operation entered its fifth day. The death toll in the ongoing operation, which has been extended from Chowkibal to Hafrada in the Vilgam area of Handwara, has now risen to 25 including 17 militants, seven soldiers and an Army Major. "Six militants were neutralized during exchange of fire today. With this the total number of militants killed in the operation since Friday has risen to 17," Defence spokesman Lt Colonel J S Brar said. He said a huge cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the area in which the operation was going on for the last over 108 hours. "The recoveries include 17 assault rifles, 13 AK magazines, 207 AK ammunition rounds, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL) and 21 UBGL grenades," he stated. One Kenwood radio set, a Thuraya satellite phone, two Global Positioning Systems (GPS), three map sheets, three matrix sheets, two have sacks and Rupees 9200 Indian currency have also been recovered from the area, he added.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said at a press conference in Jammu that infiltration from across the LoC was on. Replying to a question on a major infiltration attempt in the Kupwara sector, he said the launching pads for the militants, which had been shifted or taken to a distance from the LoC, have again been activated. Abdullah said his Government had adopted two track policy - to keep dialogue options open and simultaneously take all possible action against the militants.

March 25

The Army said that the major infiltration bid foiled near the LoC in Kupwara District was possible due to the accurate and absolute human intelligence provided by sources from across the LoC and within the Valley. "We had accurate and absolute human intelligence from across the LoC and from our side as well about this infiltration bid. As many as 17 militants have been killed in the encounter while eight soldiers including an officer made the supreme sacrifice," Brigadier General Staff of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Brigadier Gurmeet Singh, told reporters. He said most of the slain militants were foreigners and essentially affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Not ruling out Pakistan army''s support to terrorists involved in the Kupwara encounter, the Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said the LeT was still active in Pakistan despite the action that Islamabad claims to have taken against the outfit. He said that about 40 to 50 terror camps were operational across the LoC and terrorists are waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate. "The fact that there are camps on the other side obviously indicate that the possibility of involvement (of Pakistan army) cannot be ruled out," Kapoor told reporters in New Delhi.

Militants made an unsuccessful attempt to enter the Valley from Gurez sector in Bandipora District. One militant has been killed in the encounter so far, Defence spokesman Lt Col J. S. Brar told Daily Excelsior. Official sources said a group of militants, whose number has not be ascertained yet, tried to cross into the Indian side of the LoC from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at Baktoor under the jurisdiction of Izmarg Police post, 12 kilometers from Gurez. This is the second infiltration attempt by militants in north Kashmir in the past week.

A fresh encounter occurred in the Hachamarg area of Handwara in Kupwara District. One of the militants, who had managed to escape the Army operation, had taken refuge in a house in the area. The militant was killed after a brief gunfight and one AK assault rifle was recovered from his possession.

Security Forces killed a top ‘commander’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, identified as Abdullah, a resident of PoK, at village Dorsoo in the Kupwara District.

An unidentified militant was killed during an encounter with the SFs in the forest area of Dardpora in Bandipora District. One AK 47 rifle, four AK 47 magazines, one UBGL, three UBGL shells, 90 AK rounds and five SIM cards were recovered from the encounter site.

March 27

March 28

March 29

SFs killed a self-styled commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in Lolab area of Kupwara District, taking the death toll of militants and security force personnel to 32 in the past 10 days of counter-insurgency operations, officials said in capital Srinagar. The SFs launched a search operation in the Potushahi area of Lolab following information about the presence of militants in the area, the officials said. In the ensuing encounter between the two sides, LeT ‘commander’ Abu Bakr was killed. The officials said the operation was still in progress.

Two unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with the SFs in the Kellar area of Shopian District. "Police and 42 Rashtriya Rifles in a joint operation at village Moshwara in Kellar area gunned down two militants in an encounter," a Police spokesman said. A Defence spokesman said two AK assault rifles were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.

An Army trooper was killed in an encounter with the militants in a house at Gulabgarh in Reasi District. Official sources said troops of the Rashtriya Rifles were in the process to cordon off the house of Mohammed Rashid at Gulabgarh when they were fired upon by the militants from inside. In the firing, a soldier was killed while the militants managed to escape.

A soldier, Sepoy Rumpum Gogi, who was injured in the encounter with the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants in Kamla forests in the Tral area of Pulwama District, succumbed to injuries at 92 Base hospital of the Army at Badami Bagh Cantonment on March 30, a Police spokesman said. He also said the second militant killed in the encounter has been identified as 'district commander' Azhar alias Usman, a resident of Faisalabad in Pakistan. The other militant killed in the encounter was a local resident.

An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with Army troops in the Lalpura area of Kupwara District.

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant, 'district divisional commander' Yusuf Gujjar alias Kamran, and his two associates were shot dead by SFs at village Sarawan in the Kishtwar District. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Doda range), Hemant Kumar Lohia, told Daily Excelsior that SFs launched a search operation at Sarawan at 10 am after securing specific information about the presence of three top militants, including Yusuf Gujjar, in the area. During the encounter that ensued after a search operation was launched, all three of them were killed. Unconfirmed reports said that a Territorial Army trooper, Zafarullah, who had deserted his battalion in March 2009 and joined the LeT outfit, was also present in the area. His killing in the operation has not been confirmed so far by the SFs. It has, however, been confirmed that Zafarullah had joined Yusuf Gujjar's group after deserting the Army. Recoveries made from the incident site include one AK-56 rifle with three magazines, four grenades, six Chinese grenades, one pistol and a large quantity of ammunition.

Three militants shot at and seriously injured two brothers, Mohammed Ashraf and Mukhtiar Ahmed, in their house at Bei Nullah under the jurisdiction of Dharamshal Police station in Rajouri District. The militants escaped after the firing.

An unidentified militant and a soldier were killed in an encounter between SFs and the militants in the Trehgam area of Kupwara District. "An encounter started between militants and security forces including police and 16-Jat at Zoni Rashi Chopan Mohalla forest area, falling under the jurisdiction of police station Trehgam," a Police spokesman said. The body of an unidentified militant has been recovered from the encounter site, he said. A Defence spokesman said one soldier, Kishori Lal, was also killed in the gun battle.

An Army trooper was injured as three LeT militants managed to escape in an encounter at Seel area of Doda District.

An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with the SFs in the Trehgam area of Kupwara District. One militant was killed in the gunfight, which entered its third day on April 5, at Zoona Reshi area of Trehgam, a Police spokesman said. He said one militant and an Army soldier were killed in the first two days of the encounter.

Four SF personnel were injured in an encounter with militants in the Lolab area of Kupwara District.

Wireless and satellite intercepts have reportedly suggested the presence of a group of nearly 15 Taliban militants in the higher reaches of Kupwara in north Kashmir. Sources in the Union Home Ministry said wireless messages of a group of militants holed up in the Chowkibal area of Trehgam in Kupwara were intercepted. Another such communication was heard in Lolab area, also in Kupwara District, they added. One group identified itself as being part of the Taliban which had crossed the Line of Control using GPS-enabled maps.

Two Army soldiers were killed in a gunfight with militants in the Lolab area of Kupwara District. An encounter broke out between SFs and militants in the Maidanpora forests in Lolab in the evening of April 5. Four soldiers were injured in the initial gunfight, the officials said. They said two Army soldiers injured in the encounter were evacuated to 92 Base Hospital at Badamibagh cantonment in Srinagar where they were declared brought dead. Unconfirmed reports said a self-styled commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Zaraar Musa, a resident of Pakistan, has been killed in the encounter, which was continuing.

Two militants were killed in the ongoing encounter with SFs in the Lolab area of Kupwara District while search operations entered into the fifth day today in the neighbouring area of Trehgam. "Two unidentified militants have been killed in the encounter going on at Maidanpora in Lolab area. The identity and group affiliation of the militants is being ascertained," Defence spokesman Lt Colonel J. S. Brar said. However, sources said the slain militants were affiliated to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and one of them has been identified as 'district commander' Zaraar Musa. The Defence spokesman also said there has been no fresh firefight in the Zoona Reshi area under Trehgam police station in Kupwara District but the search operations were still going on.

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel shot dead a Pakistani intruder near the International Border (IB) at Suchetgarh Border Out Post (BOP) in Samba District in the early hours of April 10. A BSF spokesman said troops recovered some visiting cards of a Lahore based company and a cheque of Habib Bank of Pakistan from the possession of intruder whose identity could not be established.

A woman, Bassra Begum, was killed in an explosion in her house at Bhaderwah in Doda District.

The Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has stated that four Pakistan-based terrorist outfits are "working in consort" and there was mention of the Taliban in intercepts of their conversations. While saying the threat level in the country was "pretty high", he disclosed that the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen (JuM) and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) were earlier operating separately but had come together. "We simply have to keep our powder dry. Make sure that we remain on high alert because four organisations are working in consort. That means the level of threat is pretty high," he told NDTV. "I don't think anyone has captured anyone to identify him as a Taliban. All that we know is that there is a serious attempt to infiltrate into India," Chidambaram said. He was responding to a question on reports that about 30 Taliban terrorists had entered Kashmir.

A militant of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was killed and an Army officer injured in an encounter in the Pulwama District. A gun battle broke out in Aglar Kandi area after SFs launched a search operation in the area, official sources said. They said one militant was killed in the firefight so far. One Army officer of the rank of Captain was also injured in the gun battle. According to intelligence inputs, the two militants belong to JeM and are residents of Pakistan. They have been identified as Afaq and Baber. One residential house suffered extensive damage while three other houses were partially damaged in an encounter.

The 36 hour-long operations in Pulwama District ended with the SFs killing another militant. The SFs later recovered dead bodies of both the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants holed up in a residential house of Aglar Kandi area. Inspector General of Police, B. Srinivas, said, "The encounter has ended and both the militants belonging to JeM have been killed. One Army captain sustained injuries in the operation," Both the slain militants were Pakistani citizens and identified as Afaaq and Babar, he added further. Two AK series rifles and some other material were recovered from the site of encounter.

April 14

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor said in New Delhi that women were being "trained" on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into India. "We have information that women are being trained on the other side to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir," the Army chief said, when asked about the possibility of involvement of women handlers in the Pulwama encounter that ended on April 13 with the killing of two militants. "It is possible that women may be involved in giving directions to the terrorists," he added.

April 16

A woman was killed and her son critically injured in a militant attack at Donadoo in the Anantnag District. Two unidentified militants intruded into the house of 35 year-old Aslam Awan at Donadoo and fired indiscriminately on the members of the family, a Police spokesman said in capital Srinagar. Awan’s mother was killed while he was critically injured in the incident, he added.

April 18

A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant, identified as Nissar Ahmed, was killed along with his woman associate and another accomplice at Dori Bhagla in Doda District. The Deputy Inspector General of Police H. K. Lohia said Nissar had slipped through the Police net more than once in the past and that his girlfriend Zahida Bano (20) proved crucial in tracking him down. "Nissar, one of the most wanted terrorists in the district, was proving very elusive for us till we stumbled upon his affair with Zahida," he said. "We closed in on Nissar when we discovered Zahida was to meet him," Lohia said. "Nissar and Mohammed Rafiq Nazni, another terrorist accompanying him, were asked to surrender. When they didn't, security forces fired at them," Lohia said. He said Nissar and Nazni were killed while Zahida was critically injured. "Zahida, who had been working for the LeT as an Over Ground Worker (OGW), later died in a local hospital." Lohia added.

April 19

Another female militant, Dilshad, along with a ‘commander’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, identified as Mukhtyar Ahmed, was killed in a joint operation of the Police and Army in the Doda District. An Army trooper and a Special Police Officer (SPO) also died in the gun-battle. Official sources said Doda Police received information about the presence of militants in the forest areas of Kashtigarh. While the Security Forces (SFs) were carrying out search and cordon operation, they were fired upon by the militants hiding in the house of Samad Hajam. In the militants’ indiscriminate firing, trooper Suraj Parkash and SPO Karan Singh were killed. In the retaliatory action by the SFs, a 24-year old female militant and a HM ‘commander’ were shot dead. Another militant, identified as Shaheen Parvez, managed to escape from the incident site, from where the troops recovered one AK rifle, four magazines and some ammunition.

An unidentified militant and a retired Policeman, Shamsuddin Khan, were killed during an encounter in the Natnusa area of Kupwara District. Locals reportedly said Khan was sent by the SFs to the house where the militants were hiding in order to persuade them to surrender. As Khan was approaching the house, the troops and militants exchanged heavy fire, resulting in Khan’s death. A Defence spokesman while confirming the death of the militant and Khan, however, refused to comment on the circumstances in which the latter was killed.

Militants shot dead a former colleague, Manzoor Ahmad Sofi, a released militant, outside his residence in the Tral area of Pulwama District.

With Lashkar-e-Toiba’s top leaders Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Yousuf Muzammil, Ahmad Bhai and Zarar Shah in custody of Pakistan police in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the LeT is learnt to have replaced them with new commanders to step up their terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India, Daily Excelsior reported. According to Intelligence sources, the new commanders appointed by the LeT to co-ordinate operations in J&K and other Indian States, include Shahji of Bahawalpur in the Punjab province of Pakistan, who had earlier operated as ‘divisional commander’ of the outfit for north Kashmir for almost a decade before he was called back to Pakistan, Hyder Bhai, known for several fidayeen (suicide squad) attacks, Huzefa and Walid. All of them are Pakistani nationals and have reportedly operated in the Kashmir valley over the last decade before crossing back to Pakistan. According to sources, the initial focus of four new commanders was the Kashmir valley and Doda-Rajouri-Poonch belt in Jammu besides metropolitan and other major cities of India.

April 20

A Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper were killed and four Security Force (SF) personnel sustained injuries in a three-hour long gun-battle in the Pattan area of Baramulla District. The slain militant was identified as Abdul Rashid Baigh, a resident of Ganastan in Sumbal. One CRPF trooper, Amit Kumar Tyagi, also died in the encounter while four SF personnel were wounded. Official sources said Baigh had recently returned from across the Line of Control after receiving training in handling of arms and ammunition.

April 21

Five persons, including a woman and a female child, were killed and seven others were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion under a vehicle at Sangla on the Surankote-Marha road in Poonch District. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (Rajouri-Poonch range), S. D. Singh, said a TATA Mobile vehicle carrying 12 civilians and loaded with cement bags was on way from Surankote to Marha when it came under the impact of a powerful IED, planted on road by the militants. There had been inputs about the movement of militants in Surankote area, sources said, adding the vehicle might have been targeted as it belonged to a Village Defence Committee member. The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi while claiming responsibility for the blast said seven people were killed and 10 injured in the blast triggered by their cadre. Official sources, however, said there was no truth in Ghaznavi’s claim as only five civilians were killed and seven others were injured.

Two Police personnel were injured in an encounter with the militants at Shalini Nullah in the Deoli area of Doda District.

An estimated 6.18 lakh voters exercised their franchise (45.3 per cent) in the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat which went to polls in the second phase. The voter turnout was low by about four per cent as compared to the Jammu-Poonch Parliamentary constituency where polling was held in the first phase on April 16. Voting was held in three Districts of Doda belt including Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar and parts of Reasi segment under tight security arrangements following reports of fresh infiltration. An almost equal number of votes were polled in Udhampur-Doda seat as compared to the 2004 Lok Sabha election. Voting in all six districts, which formed part of Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha constituency, passed off peacefully with no militancy-related or major poll violence incident reported from anywhere. Addressing a joint press conference, the Chief Electoral Officer B. R. Sharma, Inspector General of Police (Jammu), K. Rajendera, and Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) Pawan Kotwal said an estimated 45 per cent polling was recorded for the Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat.

A deputy divisional commander of the LeT, identified as Abu Babbar, hailing from Peshawar in Pakistan, was shot dead by SFs in a joint encounter at Shruti Top near Dorimal forests in the Poonch District. One sophisticated bullet action automatic rifle, a modified version of AK along with its one magazine and rounds were recovered from the site of encounter.

A top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant was shot dead by the Police in an encounter at Dera Top in the Doda District while a search operation was on to arrest his two associates. The Senior Superintendent of Police, Parbhat Singh, said 11 Police personnel from Doda were deputed to Marmat three days back after receiving information about the presence of three HM militants in a hideout. A contact with the militants was established at 1.45 pm on April 28 and after a fierce exchange of gun-battle, an 'A' category militant, identified as Mohammed Yusuf Zarar alias Haq Nawaz alias Wasim, a resident of Marmat, was killed. One AK-47 rifle, two magazines, eight SIM cards and one pouch were recovered from the slain militant.

Two top commanders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed while an Army trooper was injured and three Police officials of Bhaderwah had a narrow escape in an encounter at Chinote in the Bhaderwah area of Doda District. The slain LeT 'commanders', identified as Ashraf alias Jehadi and Mudassar alias Bhaya alias Abu Furqan 99, had escaped Police cordon in Domel forests of Bhaderwah three days back and since then were being searched by the SFs. One AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 30 rounds, three grenades, two pouches, RDX and a large quantity of documents and other belongings of the militants were recovered from the encounter site. With this incident, a total of eight militants, mostly LeT and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) commanders, have been killed in Doda District this month. Ashraf and Mudassar were 'A' category militants and were active in militancy since June and September 2004 respectively.

Voting was held peacefully in the third phase of general elections for the Anantnag constituency. Chief Electoral Officer B. R. Sharma told reporters in capital Srinagar that according to tentative figures available with him, approximately 26 per cent or three lakh voters exercised their franchise. Sharma said polling in the constituency, spread over four districts, was by and large peaceful. He also said the voter turnout in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency was nearly 11 per cent more than that of 2004 Parliamentary polls held in this constituency.

A 10-year-old boy was killed and his two sisters wounded when a bomb, probably left behind by militants, exploded accidentally in the Trikanjan forest area of Uri in the Baramulla District. The three siblings had gone to the meadow to sweep and ready a mud hutment so that their family could move up to the pasture for the summer months. "As the children were cleaning the mud hutment, some explosive device probably left behind by the militants exploded killing the 10-year boy on the spot and injuring two of his sisters," an unnamed Police officer told IANS.

A Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) commander, identified as Dawood Bhat, was shot dead by Police at Kilotran in the Doda District. However, the body-guard of the militant managed to escape from the spot along with weapons. A fake identity card with stamp of civil authorities of Anantnag District was recovered from his possession. Police said Dawood Bhat had left Doda for Pakistan for advanced training in weaponry and handling of sophisticated explosives in 1998. He was known with the name of Shahbaaz in 1998. However, on his return to Doda from Pakistan he had been given the name of 'Captain' Masood. Dawood Bhat had come back to Doda only a week ago and had been assigned the task of stepping up militant activities by HM commanders in Pakistan.

Militants shot at and critically wounded a National Conference (NC) activist, Aziz Ahmad Khushoo, in the Khanqah-e-Moalla area of old Srinagar. Militants had earlier fired few rounds at the residence of a NC worker in Batamaloo area of the city 10 days before.

SFs killed two top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) commanders while their third associate managed to escape during an encounter at Ghai in the Doda District. An operation was on to neutralize the fleeing militant, who has been injured in the encounter. The slain militants have been identified as Farooq Padar and Sadiq Rather with intercepts revealing that both were commander level militants of the HM outfit and were operating in the upper reaches of Doda District for the last several years. They were reportedly involved in a series of subversive activities across the Doda and Kishtwar Districts. The absconding militant has been identified as Ghulam Hassan. From the possession of the slain militants, SFs recovered two rifles, three magazines, seven rounds, one mobile telephone, two SIM cards, two pouches and some incriminating documents. Few personal belongings of the militants were also found in the hideout which was destroyed in the operation.

Police arrested a LeT militant, identified as Manzoor Ahmed, from village Dhodi in the Rajouri District for the killing of a Special Police Officer (SPO) Khadim Hussain Shah of Budhal Police station, whose body was recovered on May 7. Shah's throat had been slit by the militants. According to Police, LeT commanders Obaida and Jan Nissar had asked Manzoor Ahmed to kill the SPO as he was instrumental in three successful operations against the LeT militants.

Srinagar the only constituency in the State that went to the polls during the fourth phase of Parliament elections on May 7, recorded the lowest voter turnout in the country across eight states, 24 per cent. However, the turnout was higher than in the 2004 election, when only 18.6 per cent of Srinagar's voters cast their votes. "People have voted for the boycott… They have elected the boycott. We appreciate it," said Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chief of one of the factions of the separatist All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militants shot dead three persons including, one woman, at Bandara village in the Gulabgarh area of Reasi District. Official sources said four HM militants led by Ishfaq Ahmed appeared at the house of Aijaz Ahmed at 10.30 pm (IST) and dragged him and his father, Ahmed Din out of the house. They took the duo to nearby house of Aijaz Ahmed's in-laws and brought out his mother-in-law, Taja Begum. They shot dead all three civilians and managed to escape.

A civilian was shot dead in an exchange of firing between militants and SFs at village Salota in the Marmat area of Doda District. Reports said Security Forces and Police had launched a search operation for a 'divisional commander' of the HM, Javed Qureshi, in Salota area of Marmat after getting information about his presence. However, a civilian was caught in the exchange of firing and was killed. He was identified as Mohd Sadiq Wani, a resident of Salota. Javed Qureshi and his associates managed to escape during the exchange of firing.

An unidentified militant, suspected to be a foreign national, was killed in an encounter with SFs in the forests of Kaninar Poshlot Top at Afan Nar in Lalpora area of Kupwara District. One damaged AK 47 rifle, two AK magazines and 31 rounds were recovered from his possession.

In a joint operation, the Army and Police shot dead a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit and his accomplice in the Dhar forest area of Doda District. The slain militants were identified as LeT 'district commander' Abu Samama and his bodyguard Barkat Ali. "While Samama was a Pakistani national, Ali was a local militant," said Brig Gurdeep Singh of 16 Corps of the Army. He added that Samama had been active in this area for the last four to five years and his killing was a big blow to the LeT. One Army soldier was injured in the gun battle. SF recovered arms and ammunition from the incident site.

May 12

A young girl was killed in cross-firing between militants and Security Forces (SFs) in the remote Suroo forests in Kishtwar District in which two top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘commanders’ were injured and the third one was believed dead while another militant escaped. Police initially maintained that the slain girl was a militant, but later described her as an ‘A’ category Over Ground Worker of militants in the evening but late in the night it gave her ‘benefit of doubt’ after which civil administration released INR 100000 ex-gratia in her favour. The Inspector General of Police, K. Rajendera, said 23-year old Amina Bano, a resident of village Kanow, who was killed in the encounter, has been given ‘benefit of doubt’ as "we have nothing on record to prove her as a militant though police have reports of her militant links". Rajendera said: "police had reports about the presence of four top Hizbul Mujahideen militants including Ishaq Bhat and Shahdin Khandey in Suroo forests. It was on the basis of this information that an operation was launched in the forests." In the exchange of firing, all four militants were injured, sources said, adding that Bhat and Khandey had taken shelter somewhere along Suroo in an injured condition while their third unidentified associate was believed to have been killed. The fourth militant managed to escape. Police recovered AK and SLR magazines, 12 cartridges, three identity cards, including the one issued on the name of a student of Government Degree College Sopore, blankets, rations, religious books and "jehadi" literature from the incident site.

May 15

Militants intruded into the residence of Ghulam Mohammad Mir at Bawan in the Kupwara District and shot dead his son Reyaz Ahmad Mir. Official sources said the 22-year-old youth died on the spot while one of his relative sustained minor injuries. Reyaz was reportedly shot dead on the suspicion of being an informer of the SFs and blamed for killing of militants in an encounter in nearby Watsar village during April 2009.

Militants beheaded a forest guard in the Larigam-Shatigam area of Kupwara District. Sources said the head of Ghulam Mohiuddin Sheikh was recovered by Police from Larigam area. Although the motive behind the killing of the forest guard was not immediately known, sources said he was abducted by the militants from his native village and later beheaded.

Police killed a 'battalion commander' belonging to the banned Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit during an encounter with militants at village Guddar in the Kulgam District. The slain militant has been identified as Ahmad Din alias Wasim, a resident of Shivras Gool Gulab Garh in Reasi, a Police spokesman said. One AK 47 rifle, four AK magazines, 98 AK rounds, one Chinese pistol, two pistol magazines, eight pistol rounds, one satellite phone and one wireless set were recovered from his possession, he added.

The Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara District by killing three militants attempting to sneak into Kashmir Valley from across the border. A defence spokesman said troops guarding LoC in the Tangdhar area of Kupwara observed movement of some militants in the morning and immediately laid multiple ambushes. In the encounter that followed after the heavily-armed infiltrators crossed into the Indian side, three militants were killed and a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from their possession.

May 26

Three militants of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit were killed while two others managed to escape in two major encounters in the Doda and Kishtwar Districts. Bodies of two militants were recovered while a search operation was underway to trace the body of third slain militant, official sources said in Srinagar.

May 28

SFs recovered 45 kilograms of explosives from a hideout of the militants in the Gandoh area of Doda District. Official sources said the explosive material was found wrapped in a hideout of the militants at an isolated area of Gandoh.

May 31

Militants shot dead Special Police Officer (SPO) Fayaz Ahmad Bhat from close range while he was on duty at a bus stand in Sopore town of Baramulla District. Official sources said the killing of the SPO also led to death of a leader of the Lok Janshakti Party, Feroze Ahmad Malik, who was present in the bus stand when militants shot at Bhat. According to preliminary investigation, Malik, who unsuccessfully contested the Legislative Assembly elections in 2008 from Sopore constituency, died due to cardiac arrest. However, eyewitnesses said Malik might have died due to head injury suffered due to falling on the road as there were some injury marks on the back of his head. Malik had reportedly been target of an acid attack by unidentified persons two months but escaped with minor burn injuries to his neck.

An Army trooper, D. K. Roy, was killed while another, Pradeep, sustained injuries in militant firing on two ambush parties at Panar forests in the Kupwara District.

Militants shot dead a village official hailing from Muqaam-Donadu in the Keller Police station area of Shopian District. 48-year-old Saifuddin Kallar was shot dead at Zehan Behak in the jurisdiction of Police station Shopian, the sources said.

June 1

An Army trooper was killed while another sustained injuries during an encounter with militants at Rajpora Zachaldara in the Kupwara District. On a specific input during the intervening night of May 30 and 31, troops of Rashtriya Rifles (21^st Battalion) laid an ambush in the Rajpora-Zachaldara area under the jurisdiction of Handwara Police station, a Police spokesman said in Srinagar. In the ensuing encounter, trooper Guru Raj was killed and another soldier was wounded.

June 2

India strongly objected to Pakistan’s attempt to link the Kashmir issue to terrorism in the region and maintained that bilateral dialogue would resume only when Islamabad creates conditions for it. "It (terrorism) has nothing to do with Kashmir. Terror whether it is in Kashmir, in Mumbai or elsewhere, it is abominable," External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna told reporters in New Delhi. He was responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s remarks that Kashmir issue "holds the key to durable peace in the region" and said that it must be resolved through "sincere dialogue". Krishna pointed out that Kashmir is a part of the composite dialogue that India had initiated with Pakistan. "Now it is in Pakistan’s court to create conditions for the dialogue to be resumed," he stated. The composite dialogue, which began in January 2004, was suspended by India after the 26/11 attacks carried out by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists based in Pakistan.

Responding to the release of Jama’at-ud-Da’awa (JuD, the LeT front) chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, Krishna said it demonstrates Pakistan’s lack of seriousness to fight terror and raises serious doubts about its commitment to probe the Mumbai attack. "It is regrettable that Pakistan has released Hafiz Saeed who has been part of terror outfits in Pakistan. The organisation (JuD) with which he has connections has been declared terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council," he said while reacting to the development in Lahore. "This only shows that Pakistan’s seriousness to fight against terror is still under a cloud," he said.

June 3

Suspected militants intruded into the house of one Sharief Ahmad Awan and shot dead his teenaged daughter, Nigeena, at Donadu in the Shopian District. This is second killing in the Donadu area within a span of three days. On May 31, militants had shot dead a village official of the area.

Pakistan troops violated the cease-fire on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sabjian sub sector of Poonch District by opening firing on forward Indian posts. Official sources said Pakistan Army resorted to firing from their Kopra post along KP Nullah in Sabjian targeting forward posts of the Border Security Force at 11 am. The firing continued for about one hour during which Pakistani troops also lobbed UBGL grenades and fired about 100 rounds from automatic weapons. The Indian side, however, didn’t retaliate. This was the second incident of cease-fire violation on LoC during the last about one month. On the previous occasion, the Pakistan Army had opened firing on Indian positions in the Manjakote sub sector. However, no casualties or damage was reported in the Pakistan army’s firing, sources said. The latest incident, the Army headquarters in Delhi said, was the eighth violation of the cease-fire, agreed to by the countries in 2003, since the beginning of 2009. No casualties were reported on their side, it said. The violation would be taken up by the Indian side at the next local commander-level meeting, sources said.

June 5

Three hardcore militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfits were killed by the SFs during an encounter on June 5 at Mandrala under the jurisdiction of Gandoh Police Station on the Doda-Himachal Pradesh border. Senior Superintendent of Police Parbhat Singh said a joint team of Police and Army launched a search operation after securing specific information that three commanders of LeT and HM outfits were hiding in village Mandrala for the past few days. "It would have been difficult to trace the militants had they slipped into the territory of Himachal Pradesh", Singh said, adding that SFs surrounded the hideout before asking them to surrender. However, all three militants opened heavy firing on the troops and tried to break their cordon to escape. In the ensuing encounter, the troops killed the three militants who have been identified as Zafarullah, Shabir Ahmed and Nazir Ahmed. Official sources said Zafarullah and Nazir were section and area commanders respectively of the HM outfit while Shabir Ahmed was deputy district commander of the LeT. Recoveries made from the incident site include one sniper rifle with telescope, its two magazines and 19 rounds, one AK rifle with one magazine and 9 rounds, three grenades, detonators, wire, explosive devices, identity cards, letter heads of HM and LeT outfits besides some incriminating documents of the two outfits and personal belongings of the militants.

An activist of the ruling National Conference party was shot dead by unidentified militants in Pulwama District. Unidentified militants are reported to have entered into the house of 56-year old Mohammad Abdullah Geela, a resident of Sangarwani Keller in Pulwama, and fired upon him indiscriminately, killing him on the spot.

June 7

An unidentified militant was killed today during an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) at Ajas in the Bandipora District. Official sources said one AK rifle and a satellite phone were recovered from the possession of the slain militant whose identity and group affiliation was not immediately known.

June 8

The Army foiled an infiltration bid in the Kupwara sector near Line of Control (LoC), killing three heavily armed militants who were equipped with modern gadgetry to guide them through the treacherous terrain, official sources said in capital Srinagar. An Army Major and soldier were also killed while another soldier was wounded in the operation which has been going on for more than three days now, the sources said.

June 10

Two militants of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), including the self styled deputy chief of operations of the outfit, were killed in an encounter with the Security Forces in the Sopore town of Baramulla District. A Police spokesman said in Srinagar that the SFs launched an operation at Dangerpora in Sopore following receipt of specific information about the presence of two top HuM militants in the area. In the ensuing encounter, both the militants, identified as Kalimullah alias Ali Sher, a resident of Pakistan and the ‘deputy chief of operations’ and his local aide Mumtaz Ahmad Parray, a resident of Pethseer in Sopore. Two AK-47 rifles, four AK magazines, two pouches and a dairy were recovered from the possession of the slain militants. The spokesman said Kalimullah was involved in the killing of Special Police Officer Fayaz Ahmad on May 31, 2009. He was also involved in a number of grenade attacks on the troops in Sopore in the recent times.

June 11

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said in Srinagar that the Centre would like the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) to play the primary role in maintaining law and order in the State. Chidambaram, who took part in the meeting of the Unified Headquarters chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, said the Central Government would prefer to see the paramilitary forces like CRPF in a secondary role to the JKP. Some of the participants reportedly favoured a gradual handing over of duties like guarding vital installations and protecting VIPs to the JKP. An official spokesman said Chidambaram asked the Controlling Officers of CRPF and State Police to sit together to work out a strategy for gradual substitution of CRPF by J&K Police in the essential duties that should ordinarily be performed by the Police. Advocating a step by step approach, he said "we would like to take small, baby steps one by one and no great leap in Kashmir."

June 13

Two youths were killed and two others were seriously injured in a landmine explosion at village Dado in Kanga close to Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch District. Official sources said four youths hailing from village Dadot were grazing cattle near their village falling close to LoC when one of them stepped over a landmine leading to a powerful explosion. Two youths were killed on spot while two others were seriously injured. The slain youths were identified as Mohammed Riyasat and Mohammed Asif.

June 14

Militants shot dead a former colleague in the Gutlibagh area of Ganderbal District. A Police spokesman said in capital Srinagar that unidentified militants intruded into the house of Showkat Ahmad Khan alias Shoqeen and shot at him from close range. Khan, a released militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit, is reported to have died on the spot.

June 19

A day ahead of Vice President Hamid Ansari''s visit to Kashmir, a former militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) was killed while two of his accomplices were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) they had allegedly fabricated exploded in the Lal Bazaar area of capital Srinagar. Firdous Ali Dar, a resident of the nearby Alasteng area, was blown up when the IED he had allegedly put together went off at a house at Bhagati Shoora in Lal Bazaar area. The house owner, Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, and another former HM militant, Ghulam Mohammad Ganaie, were injured in the blast. Three grenades, one IED, 100 rounds of AK 47, one mobile phone and some burnt Indian currency notes were recovered from the spot. The Police also recovered large quantity of crackers from the incident site.

In Srinagar, a civilian was killed and three others were wounded when unidentified militants lobbed a grenade at the crowded Dalgate area near the tourist hub of Dal Lake at around 9 pm. It was not clear as to what the target of the militants was as a tourist bus, a Police van and paramilitary personnel patrolling the area were present when the explosion took place, official sources said.

Suspected militants killed a woman by slitting her throat at Kandipora in Bibehara area of Anantnag District. The slain woman was identified as Khadija, who was wife of one Fayaz Ahmad. She was killed in her residence in the absence of her husband.

There are 42 terror-training camps directed against India operating in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Times of India reported. The latest assessment of the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), the nodal agency for all terror-related intelligence under the Union Home Ministry, holds there are 34 ‘active’ and eight ‘holding’ camps operational across the border. Both Pakistan/Northern Areas and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have 17 `active'' and four `holding or dormant'' camps each, says the MAC assessment, based on inputs from various security agencies. "It is estimated that around 2,200 militants are housed in these camps. After 26/11, many of these camps emptied out or relocated. Some are back to their original status now, while new ones have also come up,'''' said an unnamed official.

June 21

June 22

June 25

June 27

A young couple was shot dead by a group of local and foreign militants in the Danga Kandi area of Rajouri District in the intervening night of June 26 and June 27.