Jammu & Kashmir: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2009

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 on January 1 while a group of five militants was still trapped in the area, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. Enforcement of Army and police have been rushed to Bhati Dhar forests in search of the five remaining militants. Read less...

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. Read less...

Four top militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were reported to have been killed in a fierce three-day long gun-battle at Bhati Dhar forests in the Mendhar tehsil (revenue division) of Poonch District, Daily Excelsior reported. While two Army soldiers and a militant were killed on January 1, three militants were killed on January 2. A Defence spokesman in Jammu, S. N. Acharya, confirmed the killing of four militants at Bhati Dhar forests. 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. Read less...

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

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 on January 2. 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. Read less...

A Special Police Officer (SPO), Naresh Kumar, was killed in the continuing encounter between Security Forces and two absconding Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants at Bhati Dhar forests in the Mendhar tehsil (revenue division) of Poonch District in the morning of January 3, according to Daily Excelsior. The report adds that with the killing of SPO, death toll in the three days long encounter has reached seven. Read less...

Troops of 141 battalion of Border Security Force shot dead a Pakistani militant while infiltrating into forward area of Kharkola under RS Pura sector in morning of January 3. The report adds that three Pakistani infiltrators were killed along the border during last 10 days. Read less...

While an encounter between the Security Forces (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 in the early hours of January 5, Kashmir Times reported. 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. Official sources said the militants fired at the SFs at 9.35 PM, then at 12.45 AM, 1 PM, and 5 AM using AK Rifles and Pika guns which was effectively retaliated by the SFs. Three SF personnel and four militants have been killed so far in the encounter that began on January 1. Meanwhile, Daily Excelsior reported that the Army is contemplating an aerial operation in Bhati Dhar forests to neutralize the remaining Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants. Over 2000 SF personnel are reportedly involved in the ongoing operation. Army on January 5 mined the entire area surrounding hideouts of the militants at Bhati Dhar, some of which were suspected to be concrete, to ensure that they didn’t escape. Read less...

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

Police on January 8 arrested two more civilians taking the total number of arrests made from Bhati Dhar surroundings for helping 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. Read less...

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. Read less...

The ten-day long operation by the security forces (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, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. As reported earlier, two Army soldiers, a Special Police Officer and at least four militants were killed in the operation. All casualties took place during the initial phase of the gun-battle. Read less...

According to Daily Excelsior, a trooper of the Territorial Army, Aijaz Ahmed, was injured in an encounter with militants of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) in the Dachan forests of Kishtwar District on January 12. The encounter between the two sides was continuing till last reports came in. Read less...

In another search operation, Police arrested two over-ground workers of the LeT outfit 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. They were reportedly heading towards a forest area to deliver the money and four SIM cards to some LeT commanders when they were arrested by police. Read less...

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 on January 13, Daily Excelsior reported. 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’. Both of them were operating in different parts of Rajouri district for past several months and were involved in many subversive activities. 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. Read less...

Mohammad Ahsan Dar, a top militant and one of the founders of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), was arrested on January 14 by Police in the Bandipora district, Indian Express reported. Dar, a close associate of Hizb chief Syed Salahuddin, was co-ordinating activities of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), HM, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) 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. The DIG said Dar had parted ways with the HM following differences with the top leadership of the outfit and founded Muslim Mujahideen in 1992. However, he remained close to Salahuddin, who also heads the United Jihad Council (UJC) – an amalgam of militant outfits active in the State. Dar, who is in his 50s, was arrested in 1993 and released in 1999 after six years in detention, Mir said, adding he had also visited Pakistan and has remained in close contact with the ISI and other Pakistani agencies. He has reportedly been regularly receiving funds from them. According to preliminary investigations, Dar had infiltrated into the Kashmir valley and was active since last one year. Dar had organised various attacks on Security Forces and was trying to give a fresh impetus to militant activities within the State and in the rest of the country. He had infiltrated into India via the Bangladesh border. Some incriminating documents have been recovered from him and further investigations are on, the DIG said. Read less...

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. Read less...

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 on January 15. Read less...

A suspected Al-Badr ‘commander’ was killed in an encounter with the Security Forces (SFs) in the Handwara area of Kupwara District on January 15, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. Read less...

Army’s Northern Command chief said in Akhnoor on January 15 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.” Read less...

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

A top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) ‘commander’ was arrested on January 18 by Police from Sartangal bazaar in the Bhaderwah town of Doda district, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. Read less...

On January 22, Security Forces detected and subsequently defused two powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the Budhal and Kandi areas of Rajouri District, Daily Excelsior reported. A 15 kg IED was seized from Dasol forests in Budhal area while a 10 kg IED was recovered from Badhal in Kandi area. In addition, SFs also recovered six detonators, 75 Pika rounds and 153 AK rounds. Read less...

Times of India quoting the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sources reports that the paramilitary force killed as many as 218 terrorists, including 103 in Jammu and Kashmir, arrested over 2,200 suspected terrorists, and recovered 8,744 kilograms of explosives during joint counter-terrorism (CT) operations with State Police forces across the country in 2008. CRPF spokesperson Ajay Chaturvedi said the paramilitary force also lost 67 of its personnel during CT operations. The report adds that though ammonium nitrate and gelatin sticks constitute the maximum of the explosives recovered by the force, the RDX, which is mainly brought by terrorists from across the border, account for over 800 kilograms of the seizures. During 2008, over 66,300 rounds of ammunition and 1,723 arms, including AK series rifles and Chinese pistols, were also seized by the force from Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Maoist-affected States. "A maximum of 105 out of 270 encounters took place in Chhattisgarh where 26 Naxalites were killed, 303 apprehended and two surrendered, followed by Jharkhand where 56 encounters took place, 33 Naxalites were killed and 116 apprehended and 16 surrendered," the CRPF spokesperson said. Read less...

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. Read less...

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, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. Zahoor had crossed over to Pakistan in 1995 and returned the next year after arms training. Since 1996, he was operating in parts of Doda and Kishtwar Districts. Sajjad had joined militancy in May 2008 and was working as a close associate of Zahoor. 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. With this incident, a total of six commanders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and HM outfits have been killed in Doda District during the past couple of months. Read less...

Two suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were shot dead by Security Force (SF) personnel during an encounter in Handwara area of Kupwara District on January 24, according to Daily Excelsior. "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. Read less...

A militant hide out was neutralised and a consignment of arms and explosives recovered by the Security Force (SF) personnel in Dhara Mangot forests under Thanna Mandi Police Station in the Rajouri District on January 25. 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. Read less...

An under-ground hide out of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit was neutralised by the SF personnel at Wagan near Sher Bibi area close to Jammu-Srinagar National Highway under Banihal tehsil (revenue division) in the Ramban District. A large quantity of HM literature, LPG cylinders, utensils and other belongings of the militants were recovered from the hide out. Read less...

Personnel of the Border Security Force foiled an attempt by a suspected suicide squad of around four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Indian side of the border under Kanachak sector of Jammu District on January 25, reports Daily Excelsior. After an encounter, militants reportedly managed to exfiltrate into Pakistan. "Timing of the infiltration attempt was clearly aimed at making an attempt to disturb Republic Day celebrations in the City tomorrow," sources said. Read less...

During an encounter at Bakihara village in the Handwara area of Kupwara District on January 27, one militant was killed, Daily Excelsior reported. At least two militants were suspected to be holed up in the Security Forces (SFs) cordon, the sources said. The encounter was continuing till last reports came in, they added. Read less...

During another encounter between militants hiding in a village in the Amargarh area of Baramulla District and SFs, one trooper is reported to have sustained injuries. Official sources said a top militant ‘commander’, Abu Hamza, is believed to be among the holed up militants in the security forces' cordon. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (North Kashmir), Abdul Gani Mir, said that encounters were still in progress at both places and full details of the incidents would be known only after the operation was completed. Read less...

An encounter took place between the SFs and militants in the Ayatmullah area of Bandipora District in the morning of January 28. 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. The operation was continuing till last reports came in as the SFs apprehend that there might be more militants hiding in the area. Read less...

Four militants, including two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) ‘commanders’ and two Army personnel, were killed in three separate encounters in the Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora Districts of North Kashmir on January 28, Daily Excelsior reported. 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 Security Forces (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. Read less...

In a separate encounter, 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. Sources said the operation was still in progress. Read less...

Army personnel detected an Improvised Explosive Device in the Shopian District town in south Kashmir. Read less...

Security Forces on January 29 arrested two over-ground workers (OGW) of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) during an operation in the Pulwama District, Daily Excelsior reported. 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. Read less...

Daily Excelsior reports that a woman, Shah Bano Begum, who was earlier gang raped by four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, caught hold one of them inside Bhaderwah Police Station in the Doda District during identification parade and assaulted him, resulting in the intervention of Police Officials on January 31. The woman reportedly forced Police to register a rape case against four LeT militants including the arrested one, Imtiyaz Ahmed, a resident of Nalthi are in Bhaderwah. Three others were identified as Ashiq Hussain alias Abu Umair, a LeT ‘area commander’, Mohammed Ashraf alias Abu Jehadi and Mudassar Hussain alias Abu Furqan, residents of Dhandi and Chakka villages of Bhaderwah. Read less...