The situation in the war affected Kargil sector was generally quiet except for isolated incidents of firing and shelling which  have continued. 

A few militant related violent incidents  were reported in J&K. By and large the security forces kept terrorism  under control.

TERRORISM -  Major Incidents

15 August 99.  In acts of violence on Independence Day, militants of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen fired rockets at an Army camp, attacked a police station killing four policemen and ambushed a BSF patrol in J&K. The ultras fired four rockets aimed at the Deputy Commissioner's office and a nearby Army camp in Kupwara when the Independence Day function was in progress. However, the rockets exploded in mid-air. The debris landed in a nearby field without causing any harm. 

25 August 99.  The Army recovered a big cache of arms including a pneumatic boat and rocket launchers dumped by militants in a cave  in the frontier district of Kupwara, where Pakistan-trained mercenaries  had carried out a number of attacks on military camps at the beginning of the month. 

29 August 99.  In a major pre-poll strike militants ambushed the election campaign vehicle of a political party, killing a party activist and wounding another in the Anantang district in south Kashmir.  In another incident, militants opened heavy fire on personnel who were on a poll campaign at Nigeenporakund village in Qazigund, about 80 kms from Srinagar. A party activist died at the scene of the attack. 

On 29 August, six people from Delhi were injured when a grenade hurled by militants exploded inside their vehicle near Srinagar. They were returning to their hotel after shooting a film at Nishat Garden. The injured were admitted to hospital where the condition of one of them was stated to be critical. 

Information

In a bid to revitalise militancy in J & K,  Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has handed over control of all militant activities to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Under a new plan, the organisation has worked out a hit list of VVIPs, including the Governor, Mr. G.C. Saxena, the Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the DG Rastriya Rifles,  Lt Gen Avtar Singh and the SP, Operations. 

Al Badr, a Pakistan-based militant group involved in the Kargil intrusions, has threatened to disrupt the Lok Sabha elections in J & K by "paralysing the election machinery" and teaching  the Indian forces "a lesson". It said members "experienced" in fighting in Afghanistan had been sent to the  Valley to work against the election arrangements, and declared that "India will have to face more Kargils in the coming days". Al-Badr is a member of the United Jehad Council, the umbrella organisation of 14 militant groups active in J & K. 

Over 100 polling stations may be shifted from near the Indo-Pak border to safer places  to ensure smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha elections in the event of firing by Pakistani troops from across the Line of Control (LoC) .

Pakistan's ISI is trying to establish its bases in other Muslim-dominated areas in India to foment trouble during the parliamentary elections. These places are Hyderabad, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu, besides the Mumbai suburbs. 

A Pakistani mullah, Shafiq Rehman, 28, resident of Oldham, Greater Manchester since 1993, has admitted to having extended moral support to the terrorists operating in Kashmir against the Indian security forces. He has been identified by the British intelligence agencies, MI 5 and MI 6, as helping the LeT. 

Unwilling to concede that its armed forces were involved in Kargil, Islamabad played a needless charade for nearly  a  fortnight with eight Pakistani prisoners of war (POWs) that India had offered to release on 14 Aug 99.  India  asked Pakistan  to confirm their identity  after  furnishing details about them. Once this was done, all that Pakistan had to do was to accept them through the International Committee of the Red Cross in accordance with the 1949 Geneva Convention dealing with POWs. After much dithering, back- tracking and  needless delay   the POWs were accepted by Pakistan and repatriated. 

Every  sepoy of Pakistan's Northern Light Infantry (NLI)  who died fighting the Indian Army in Kargil has been promised a compensation of $10,000. The families of officers will also be  given a plot of land in any place of their choice in Pakistan. This may have been done to arrest the increasing resentment among the NLI troops who hail from the federally administered Northern Areas. POWs Hunar Shah and Naik Inayat Ali of the 5 NLI had told the Indian Army during their interrogation that there was great deal of frustration among their rank and file for having been made 'sacrificial goats' in the Kargil misadventure. 

ASSESSMENT

Pakistan will try its hardest to disrupt the Lok Sabha polls in J&K. India will have to  counter  the Pakistani mischief with the necessary force level and inflict a defeat  on terrorism.