Pakistan violates ceasefire along International Border in Jammu

[Hindustani78]

DGMO level talks: India, Pakistan agree on border truce | Zee News
New Delhi: In a significant development, India and Pakistan on Thursday agreed to open more channels of communication for resolving all issues of utmost importance between the two sides, increase bilateral engagements and maintain peace along the international border.

The development comes as India and Pakistan began Director General-level talks this morning during which the top military commanders from both sides agreed not to allow escalation of tensions along the Line of Control (LoC).

Responding to India's appeal for peace, the Pakistan Army pledged that its troops will observe ceasefire strictly and exercise restraint in the days to come.

On Wednesday evening, a 15-member delegation of the Pakistan Rangers arrived in New Delhi for the talks. The team is led by Major General Umar Farooq Burki, Director General of the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab).

From the Indian side, the delegation for the talks is led by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General DK Pathak and 22 other officers.

The talks reportedly began around 10.00 am and will continue till September 12.

The main agenda of the talks is ceasefire violations. Just yesterday, at least two BSF personnel were wounded in firing in Nowgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pakistani Army also fired at Indian positions yesterday along the LoC in Poonch district.

The talks, one of the measures agreed upon during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, gain special significance after the National Security Adviser-level talks could not take place due to Pakistan's insistence on discussing Kashmir.

The Pakistan Rangers delegation entered India via Attari, and was welcomed by senior BSF officers including DG Pathak. There, they boarded a special aircraft to Delhi, where the talks are taking place.

The Indian delegation to talks also includes officials from the Home Ministry, the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Survey of India.

"During the conference, discussions will be held on important issues like cross-border firing, infiltration and smuggling etc. The talks will also endeavour to focus on positive issues like different levels of communication, more simultaneous coordinated patrolling and other confidence building measures," a BSF official said.

Asked if the talks will reduce tension between the two countries, Pathak said, "That is the objective for talks."

With some 100 ceasefire violations along the India-Pakistan border since the Ufa talks, the issue is likely to dominate the agenda from the Indian side, sources said.

Till June this year, there have been 199 ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

Official figures reveal that around 430 ceasefire violations occurred on the International Border while 153 violations were reported on the LoC in 2014. In 2013, it was 347.

According to reports, Pakistan has listed in its agenda a revived role for the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) for intervening in ceasefire violations.

As per sources, issues Pakistan has placed on agenda also includes the alleged use of objectionable language by troops on the Indian side, and lack of response on simultaneous coordinated patrolling along the border.

Pakistan is also expected to raise the issue of airspace violation by suspected unmanned aerial vehicles.

Pakistan had blamed India of violating its airspace when it shot down a drone in July. India, however, said the drone was not like any of those in the Indian inventory and appeared to be of a Chinese variety available off-the-shelf.

(With IANS inputs)

 

[Hindustani78]

Major General Umar Farooq Burqi, DG Pakistan Ranger (left) and BSF DG Devendra Phatak (right) interacts between the lunch break, during Bi-Annual DG level talks at BSF Head Quarters on Thursday. Photo: Prashant Nakwe

Pakistani Rangers Director General (Punjab), Major General Umar Farooq Burki arrives to inspects a guard of honor at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters, in New Delhi on Thursday.

 

[M.SAAD]

Hmm, soo much love .

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
11-September, 2015 16:59 IST
DG Pak Rangers calls on Union Home Minister

A delegation led by the Director General, Pakistan Rangers, Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki called on the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, here today.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh has said that India always wanted good cordial relations with Pakistan and the Government follows Shri Vajpayee’s policy of peace with neighbours as ‘friends can be changed but neighbours cannot be changed’. The Government had invited heads of our neighbouring nations for the oath-taking ceremony of the present government to display this commitment, he added.

The Union Home Minister said that India always wanted the dialogue with Pakistan to continue, and Ufa meeting was a part of the same initiative. Unfortunately, the National Security Advisor level talks between the two nations could not be held, he added.

Shri Rajnath Singh complimented both border guarding forces for having a meaningful interaction, and said that forces or civilians should not be targeted on either side. He said that both the countries are affected by terrorism and all countries have to cooperate to fight this evil.

While responding, the Director General, Pakistan Rangers, Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki said that Pakistan also wanted to have good cordial relations with India and will follow the decisions taken in the meeting. He said that there could have been some incidents at the border where firing took place due to misunderstanding or by mistake. He mentioned that both sides hope to defuse the situation in future amicably.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi and Senior officers of MHA and BSF were also present on the occasion.

***

A delegation led by the Director General, Pakistan Rangers, Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki calling on the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi on September 11, 2015. The Director General, BSF, Shri D.K. Pathak is also seen.

A delegation led by the Director General, Pakistan Rangers, Maj. Gen. Umar Farooq Burki calling on the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi on September 11, 2015. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi and the Director General, BSF, Shri D.K. Pathak are also seen.

 

[M.SAAD]

Good to see that both sides acting maturely

 

[Hindustani78]

Two militants, two soldiers killed in ongoing Kashmir gunfight

Srinagar, Sep 11, 2015, IANS:

At least two militants and two army soldiers were killed on Thursday in a gunfight between the security forces and separatist guerrillas in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

"An encounter started at Laribal Rajwar (Handwara) forest area in Kupwara district between troops of 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and militants during the night.

"Two jawans of the RR and two militants were killed in this encounter as per reports received", a senior police officer told IANS in Srinagar on Friday, adding that the gun fight was still on.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the spot to augment the strength of the security forces and hunt down the militants, the officer added.

 

[Hindustani78]

Border Security Force (BSF) Director General D.K. Pathak and Pakistani Rangers Director General (Punjab) Maj. Gen Umar Farooq Burki shake hands as they exchange copies of the joint accord at Indian Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in New Delhi.

 

[Hindustani78]

Indo, Pak border DGs agree to 'enhance communication' for 'tranquil' frontiers | Zee News
Last Updated: Saturday, September 12, 2015 - 18:17

New Delhi: India and Pakistan on Saturday agreed to jointly resolve sensitive issues like ceasefire violations and cross-border infiltration through timely exchange of information, including via email and over the telephone.


At the conclusion of bilateral DG-level border talks here, the two sides also inked some new CBMs and signed a joint record of discussions which emphasised the need to ensure security and well-being of their border populations.

The two sides, sources said, also agreed to stop ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) "through enhanced communication via multiple modes at all possible levels".

The chiefs of the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers had led the dialogue and both sides maintained that it was held in a very cordial and smooth manner and all the issues concerning the two countries along the Indo-Pak border were taken up and addressed.

The two border guarding forces decided to initiate new Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) through regular exchange of sporting and cultural troupes and initiation of coordinated patrolling in specific border areas.

"The Joint Record of Discussion charting a future route map for cooperation between the two border guarding forces was signed in the day. It was mutually agreed to hold the next talks in the first half of 2016 in Pakistan," a BSF statement said after its DG DK Pathak and Rangers chief Maj Gen Umar Farooq Burki signed the documents.

"The talks ended on a optimistic note with both sides agreeing on constant endeavour to maintain peaceful and tranquil borders," it added.

The two sides had yesterday concluded their DG-level talks, which was extended by a day, and resolved that ensuring peace and tranquillity on the Indo-Pak border was an important goal for both countries.

Sources in the Pakistan government had also spoken about the initiation of these measures and said the meeting was held in a "cordial and congenial atmosphere".

"The meeting took up specific issues of concern. Incidents of firing at the borders, smuggling of narcotics, infiltration attempts and defence construction activities were discussed.

"The issue of inadvertent crossing over by border population and on how to facilitate their return on both the sides was also discussed," the statement added.

Ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country along the border in Jammu and Kashmir has remained a major irritant in the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan.

Pakistani troops have already violated the ceasefire 11 times so far in September.

Pakistan had said that it does not support any illegal border crossing as a matter of policy and, despite that, both the sides agreed to work out some "additional methods to further strengthen border control".

Sources on the Indian side had said that both the forces, up to the level of Directors General, will exchange mobile numbers, email ids and fax numbers for quick and swift communication to resolve situations on a case-to-case basis.

The Rangers later went to board a special BSF plane to Amritsar, where they will witness the retreat ceremony in the evening on the Indian side at Attari.

Thereafter, the BSF commanders of the Punjab frontier will formally bid farewell to the visiting delegation, which will cross over to Wagah in Pakistan.

PTI

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Army pays tribute to two jawans killed in Kupwara encounter | Zee News
Last Updated: Saturday, September 12, 2015 - 16:02

Srinagar: Army Saturday paid tributes to two jawans who laid down their lives battling militants at Handwara in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

"Army paid a befitting tribute with full military honours to the martyred soldiers Naik Sri Chitra Saikia and Guardsman Jagdish Prasad who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists in Handwara yesterday," a defence spokesperson said here.

Tribute was paid to the valour and sacrifice of the late soldiers in a solemn ceremony held at Badami Bagh Cantonment here, he said.

"Naik Sri Chitra Saikia and Guardsman Jagdish Prasad were members of the Army team that launched an operation yesterday and is still continuing in Laribal area of Handwara, in which two terrorists were eliminated and a large cache of arms, ammunition and warlike stores were recovered," the spokesperson said.

The Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua and all ranks of the Corps laid wreath as a mark of honour and pride for the brave soldiers, he said, adding, wreaths were also laid on behalf of the Army Chief and Northern Army Commander.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Army personnel rush towards the house where militant was hiding during an encounter,at Pulwama in Srinagar.

 

[Hindustani78]

The drop in militancy is very visible in the Jammu region. According to police, fewer than five active militants operate in the region.

Updated: September 13, 2015 03:32 IST
Hizbul now biggest militant group - The Hindu

Lashkar loses ground as local youth join extremist ranks in Kashmir.
Kashmir has witnessed a dramatic shift in the nature of militancy in recent months, resulting in the end of the supremacy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with a majority of members from Pakistan. The indigenous Hizbul Mujahideen, with almost all members from Kashmir, is now back as the number one militant group.

Many see it as a warning to policymakers in both New Delhi and Srinagar to wake up to the new tide of local youths joining militancy, and the dramatic indigenisation of militant violence, which since the late 1990s was dominated by LeT. The shift also means that the attacks are getting milder, and suicide raids are no more routine.

About 200 active militants are operating in the State. Of them, over 80 are in Hizbul Mujahideen, officials say. In the most dependable estimates available from J&K police and other sources, LeT has about 60 members, of which 40 are believed to be Pakistanis. Many other militant groups have altogether vanished or are on the fringe.

The most interesting case is that of Al Badar, once a dreaded group known for its suicide attacks and commitment to liberate Kashmir to make it a part of Pakistan. Reliable estimates say that Al Badar may have just one active militant left in its ranks.

Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was released in 1999 in Kandahar in exchange for passengers of the hijacked IC 814 aircraft, is now down to less than a dozen militants on its rolls.

A J&K police official said this turnaround, resulting in HM becoming the biggest militant group, may have happened because about 60 youths, most of them educated, joined it in recent months. In 2014, just 27 youths had joined militancy, and the number of youngsters joining militancy had dropped to single digit figures some years ago.


But political neglect by New Delhi of the improving condition, its failure to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue, and continuing heavy militarisation of the region seem to be breathing life back into local militancy. The new generation of militants are not ideologically-driven Islamic fighters, but mostly have local grievances and may have suffered excesses by security forces or are dejected with basic lack of opportunities.

The drop in militancy is very visible in the Jammu region. According to police, fewer than five active militants operate in the region.

Hizbul’s growing popularity could also mean that Pakistani agencies find it a better strategy to encourage local militants, rather than risk sending terrorists across the border. More expensive is the infiltration of terrorists through other routes such as Nepal and Bangladesh. To ensure that indigenous militancy flourishes, Pakistani agencies only have to send across money.

Despite the worrying trend of local youth taking to militancy, the overall situation is very encouraging for efforts to find lasting peace. Officials said Hizbul had in the early 1990s claimed up to 10,000 cadres.

By 2004, the J&K police had estimated about 3,000 militants. The numbers have been steadily dropping since then.

 

[Hindustani78]

Pakistan violates ceasefire again, 1 BSF officer killed in mortar shelling in J&K | Zee News

Jammu: One BSF officer was killed after Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling along the LoC in J&K's Samba district on Sunday.

According to reports, troops guarding Pakistani borders opened fire in Samba district of J&K along the international border (IB), a day after BSF and Pakistan rangers agreed to uphold the sanctity of ceasefire during the DG-level talks.

"Pakistan rangers fired three rounds early today (Sunday) morning using small weapons. The fire was aimed at a forward border out post (BoP) in Samba," a BSF official said.

He, however, said that the BSF did not retaliate to the fire from across the border.

PTI


First Published: Sunday, September 13, 2015 - 22:02

BSF jawan killed in Pakistan shelling - The Hindu
Updated: September 14, 2015 02:23 IST

An assistant sub Inspector of the Border Security Force (BSF) was killed when mortar shells were fired by Pakistan Army from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

The deceased official, identified as Sohan Lal, was assisting the Indian Army, which is deployed along the LoC.

The border guarding force of the two countries — the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers concluded the DG level talks in Delhi on Saturday.

An official said that the arrangement of not resorting to cross-fires, reached with Pakistan Rangers, would not apply on the Line of Control, which is under the operational control of the Army on both sides.

Sources said Mr. Lal was hit by a splinter from the mortar shells fired from across the LoC.

 

[Hindustani78]

Two civilians injured in suspected blast along LoC in Poonch | Zee News
Last Updated: Sunday, September 13, 2015 - 23:16
Jammu: Two civilians were injured in a suspected blast on a track along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday night.

"There was a suspected blast on a track along the borderline in Poonch district tonight in which two civilians were injured," a Defence Spokesman said.

The injured have been hospitalised, he said, adding, the matter is being investigated.

PTI

Bullet-ridden bodies of three youths found in Baramulla | Zee News

Last Updated: Monday, September 14, 2015 - 14:45
Srinagar: Bodies of three men with bullet wounds and torture marks were on Monday found in a village in Pattan township of Baramulla district in north Kashmir.

"Bodies of the three unidentified youths, aged between 20 and 30 years, were recovered from Dangerpora on Nihalpora-Wailoo road," 30 kms from here, a police official said.

The police got the information about the sighting of the bodies in the village and immediately rushed to the scene, he said.

"The bodies of the youths bore torture and bullet marks," the officer said.

"The police has taken cognizance and started investigations," he said.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Slain Army man cremated in Assam - The Hindu
Updated: September 14, 2015 07:55 IST

Soldiers giving gun salute during the cremation of Chitra Saikia in Morigaon on Sunday. Saikia was killed in firing along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu & Kashmir on Friday.– Photo: PTI

The body of Army personnel Chitra Saikia, who laid down his life battling militants at Handwara in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on September 11, was brought to his home in Assam on Sunday.

Naik Saikia’s body was received at the Guwahati Airport by the Army and sent to his village Jagi Bhakatgaon in Morigaon district, a defence official said.

Locals took his body in a procession to his native place before cremation with full military honour.

However, neither the local legislator nor any minister was present.

Saikia (24) is survived by his wife and a child, his family said.

Saikia, of Army’s 22nd Rashtriya Rifles unit, was among the two soldiers killed in an encounter with unidentified terrorists in Kashmir valley. The encounter had broken out in Laribal village of Zachaldara in Handwara after security forces launched an operation there. - PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Fresh ceasefire violation in Poonch - The Hindu

Showing no signs of let up despite fresh Indo-Pakistan ceasefire agreement, Indian troops came under fire across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday morning in Pir Panchal Valley's Poonch district.

According to a defence spokesman, Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions from 6:20 am to 9:00 am with automatic weapons.

In retaliation, the troops from Indian side fired with equal calibre weaponry.

Poonch's KG Sector was first resounded with gunfire and 82mm mortar around 7:10 am.

There were reports of continued intermittent violation of ceasefire till noon.

No casualty was reported from either side of the LoC so far.

During Director Generals' meet of border forces of India and Pakistan in New Delhi recently, the two countries agreed to put an halt to further ceasefire violations. However, Wednesday's firing proved that the fresh ceasefire agreement is falling flat once again.

 

[Hindustani78]

Search operations in J&K after reports of movement of militants | Zee News

Last Updated: Thursday, September 17, 2015 - 15:51

Jammu: Security forces conducted searches after reports of suspicious movement of militants in border belt of Samba district forcing closure of some schools.

There were reports of some suspected movement of some armed persons following which search operations were conducted by security forces in border belts of Samba district early today, defence sources said.

Also, there were reports of an infiltration bid in the area. The army schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas were closed as a precautionary measure, they said.

However, nothing has so far been found in the area and the searches are underway, they said.

PTI