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Four army personnel and six militants were killed in a fierce gun battle between security forces and the militants in Kupwara district on March 211.
Former J&K Governor S.K. Sinha, at a function in New Delhi on March 16, has alleged that former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed acted as a ‘spokesman’ for militants during his tenure and charged that several of his cabinet colleagues were hobnobbing with separatists. The former Governor stated that Sayeed’s policy of ‘healing touch’ meant compensation to the family members of militants killed by security forces and not for the victims of the terrorists’ violence2.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, on a visit to Srinagar on March 18 stated that security forces and candidates contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in J&K will have to be on high alert. He added that the political turmoil in Pakistan remained a cause of concern. Mr. Chidambaram pointed out that violence levels in the state had gone down in the past two years considerably and that infiltration was at its lowest3.
- 1. “Army major among 10 killed in Kupwara encounter,” Daily Excelsior, March 22, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09mar22/newsupdate.htm#1
- 2. “Mufti acted as militants' spokesman: Sinha,” Daily Excelsior, March 17, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09mar17/body.htm
- 3. “Home Minister sounds high alert in J&K during election period,” Daily Excelsior, March 19, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09mar19/news.htm#1