Twelve people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed and 15 injured when suspected fidayeen struck at an election rally at the Surankote bus stand, 28 km from here, this afternoon.The militants reportedly opened indiscriminate fire and escaped before the security forces could react. The attack occurred during the poll rally of an Independent candidate, Haji Abdullah, barely 200 metres from the Tehsil Complex, where Congress leaders Ambika Soni and Ghulam Nabi Azad were addressing another rally.Two other Congress rallies, to be held in Mandi and Poonch later in the day, were cancelled as the authorities did not allow Soni and Azad to go there due to security reasons.Among the dead were four BSF personnel — T.K. Ghosh, Ankil Dev Nath, A. Shiv Kumar and Ashok Bhai, all from 353 BSF Bn — constable Mohammad Iqbal, Special Police Officer Showkat Hussain — who was attached with the Election Commission’s poll observer for Surankote, Rajiv Kumar — Mumtaz Ahmed of Samote and 12-year-old Gulzar Ahmed of Gunthal. Although there are five candidates in the fray for the Surankote Assembly seat, the main contest is between veteran Congress leader Choudhary Aslam and National Conference’s Minister of State for Social Welfare Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari.Today’s militant attack was the third in the area in the last 10 days. Just last night, militants had opened fire on a security force patrol. Prior to that, they killed four members of a Muslim police official’s family.Tension is rife in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which are going to the polls along with three other districts situated along the LoC on September 16. Although they claim to have deployed adequate security forces in the area, senior officers in the police and civil administration apprehend more violence.While all parties have stepped up electioneering, militants too have heightened their campaign for boycott of polls. Only a few days back, they stopped a bus at Dundhak bridge near Surankote and warned the passengers not to vote. They also handed over some anti-poll material for distribution in their areas.Besides the Surankote attack, militants also struck in Mendhar today, where they abducted the son of a National Conference member at Thera Topa and set his house on fire.According to Poonch Deputy Commissioner Pawan Kotwal, who is also the District Election Officer, over 50 per cent of the total 346 polling stations in the three Assembly constituencies in the district have been categorised as either ‘‘sensitive’’ or ‘‘hyper-sensitive’’.Of these, Surankote is one of the ‘‘hottest’’ areas, with 84 ‘‘hyper-sensitive’’, 21 ‘‘sensitive’’ and only two normal polling stations. Similarly, in Mendhar constituency, of the total 108 polling stations, nearly 65 have been declared ‘‘hyper-sensitive’’ and 33 ‘‘sensitive’’. Poonch also has 59 ‘‘hyper-sensitive’’ and ‘‘sensitive’’ polling stations.In the adjoining district of Rajouri too, militants have killed over a dozen people in the Dudasan area since the poll notification.Reports of their frequent movement in Thanamandi, Sokar, Kotli Kalaban and other areas pour in daily.
