Detail Of Terrorism Update

Reports from north Kashmir have indicated that three unidentified terrorists and a civilian were killed during an encounter at Lawaypora village in the Bandipore area on August 4.

In another encounter in the Bander forest area of Trehgam in Kupwara district on the same day, two terrorists were killed and two security force (SF) personnel sustained injuries. Further, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist died in an encounter with security forces at Dharian Behak in the Gulmarg-Baramulla belt. Meanwhile, Police have recovered the dead body of a terrorist from the Kalaroos area in Kupwara district. He had reportedly sustained injuries and escaped during a military operation at Paraypora, Kalaroos on July 31.

Two foreign mercenaries affiliated to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit were killed during an encounter that ensued after a search operation at village Laar Bujla in the Banihal area of Doda district. However, two of their associates managed to escape from the incident site. Two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, five grenades, some photographs and a film roll were recovered from their possession. Two more terrorists were shot dead in a joint encounter with the army and police at village Dara Sangla in the Surankote area of Poonch district. A civilian was injured in the cross-firing. One AK-47 rifle, three magazines and two hand grenades were recovered from the slain terrorists.

Further, a group of terrorists shot dead a teacher at a marriage function at village Thuru in the Mahore area of Udhampur district. Another civilian was killed by terrorists in captivity at Katjidhok in Mahore.

Separately, two civilians were abducted by unidentified terrorists at Kanthpora in the Lolab valley of Kupwara district. Meanwhile, three unidentified terrorists appeared at the Chhatergul branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Anantnag district and looted the entire amount of cash valued at Rupees 48,549.

A group of suspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) terrorists killed a tea estate-owner and his two sons at Diasajan under Doomdooma police station limits in Assam’s Tinsukia district on August 3. A media report has indicated that the terrorists killed them for not paying an extortion amount of Rupees 50,000. Later the police arrested three persons in this connection.

Meanwhile, on August 4, while speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi informed the members that the ULFA had not responded to the Government’s repeated calls for talks. He added that he had no objection in either Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga or former Lok Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament)-Speaker P A Sangma facilitating talks between the terrorist outfits, including the ULFA and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Union Government.

Other reports have said that the Asom Public Works ULFA Parial Committee (APWUPC), an organisation of the ULFA kin, has launched a signature campaign in protest against the ULFA’s demand of Swodhin Asom (independent Assam).

A police personnel was killed and three others injured during a landmine blast triggered by left-wing extremists—Naxalites—of the People’s War Group (PWG) in Palamu district of Jharkhand on August 4.

Meanwhile, the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) has called for a week-long Jharkhand bandh (general shutdown) from August 16. The bandh has been called in protest against alleged police atrocities and death sentence for three MCC Naxalites in Hazaribagh district.

Left-wing extremists—Naxalites—of the People’s War Group (PWG) killed a villager in the Annavaram village of Nizamabad district on July 4, suspecting him to be a police informer. Media reports said a group of Naxalites led by ‘district committee secretary’ Loketi Chandru alias Swami raided the village and killed the villager.

Meanwhile, villagers of Madugula in the Mahboobnagar district protested against the PWG Naxalites who visited the village on August 3 to organize ‘martyrs’ week’ meeting and forced them to leave the village.

Maoist insurgents allegedly attacked the Ramechhap District Police Office on August 4 injuring three personnel. They also allegedly abducted seven civilians from Gaighat and Udaypur in separate incidents on August 3. In yet another incident, a police personnel was abducted from Dolakha on the same day.

Other reports have said that insurgents clashed with security forces at Oyam village in Panchtar on August 4. However, casualties or injuries on either side were not reported.

Meanwhile, Maoist leader Matrika Prasad Yadav announced on August 4 the dissolution of the existing five-member peace talks committee and the subsequent formation of a new two-member committee comprising Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara. The Government has already named its two-member committee consisting of Prakash Chandra Lohani and Kamal Thapa. The Government had also indicated its preference for the date of the third round of talks as August 12.