Osama bin Laden surfaces in Kashmir, on photographs

The Army officials here, however, are tight-lipped over the slain militants’ links with bin Laden except that they were Pakistan nationals and owed allegiance to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition including RPG rocket launchers along with RPG rockets, grenade launchers and AK rifles were seized from them.

The securityforces officials, who say they cannot say that the slain militants were bin Laden’s men, however, admit having intercepted militants’ conversations about the Arab millionaire’s plans to send his men into the State. After the recent US air-strikes on terrorist basis in Afghanistan and Sudan, they had even received intercepts about his planning to cross over to India for some time, officials said, adding they had not, however, come across any evidence about the presence of his men in the State so far.

A security forces official said, on condition of anonymity that the seizure of bin Laden’s photographs from the slain militants in Poonch was significant. Earlier, he said, a number of slain militants were found carrying pocket-sized Holy Quran, he added.

Sources said the Arab millionaire appears to have started sending his men over this side of the border in view of the desperate attempts by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to step up violence in the State during winter months. In this connection,they referred to the desperate attempts by diehard militants especially foreign mercenaries, to cross over along with more deadly weaponry.

Not only this, there had also been a significant change in militants’ strategy in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Instead of being on the defensive as earlier, they have become offensive by launching calculated attacks. The militants were not only attacking the security force pickets and patrol parties, but had recently fired mortar shells on the Army’s Division Headquarters at Rajouri as well.

They were also reported to be in possession of weapons like anti-tank missiles, sources said and added that one such missile was seized by security forces from a militant hideout in Rajouri recently. The stepped up infiltration attempts, coupled with their changed strategy and recovery of more deadly weapons gave enough indications that majority of the infiltrating militants were well acquainted with guerrilla warfare, sources added.

Under such circumstances,there were possibilities of bin Laden’s men sneaking into the State for carrying out terrorist activities. They were with the Arab millionaire for money and fighting in Jammu and Kashmir made no difference to them as long as they were paid.

Alarmed over these developments, three additional brigades of the Army have been inducted into both the border districts. The deployment of these additional troops was, at present, going on at various places especially the areas closer to Pir Panjal range in both the districts, sources said.