Militants timed J&K raid with Rocca visit: [Indian Home Minister] Advani

The Times of India ^ | May 14 2002 | NILANJANA BHADURI JHA

[luckyluke]

NEW DELHI: Home Minister L.K. Advani linked Tuesday’s terrorist attacks on an Army camp and a bus in Jammu to US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca’s visit, saying it was aimed at derailing the global fight against terrorism. Thirty-four people were killed and 48 injured in the attacks.

Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, Advani said the incident seemed to have been "timed to demonstrate to the world that despite the global coalition against terrorism, the terrorists are not likely to be cowed down."

"It is not a coincidence that the incident has occurred at a time when a senior US state department official is visiting the country," Advani added. Rocca, who arrived in the Capital last night, spent the day holding discussions with leaders on Tuesday and will leave on Wednesday for Pakistan.

The Home Minister assured the Houses that the government remained committed to taking all possible steps to control militancy, pointing to the fact that through intelligence-based operations, security forces had killed 601 terrorists in the first four months of the year, of which 190 were foreign mercenaries.

Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami and a Special Secretary in the Home Ministry were leaving for Jammu later on Tuesday, the minister said.

Giving details about the incident, Advani said three terrorists in "army-type uniform" had boarded a Himachal Roadways bus at Vijaypur between Pathankot and Jammu and shot indiscriminately at passengers. They then entered the family lines of the army camp and killed and injured army personnel and members of their family.

While all the three terrorists were killed during the encounter as per latest reports, three women and four men died in the bus. One person received minor injuries. In the army camp, Advani said, five men, eight women and ten children were killed. Among the children, were six boys.

The 47 injured were being treated at a military hospital and one person had been shifted to Jammu Medical College Hospital.

Earlier in the day, shocked political parties demanded an explanation on why the government had not preempted such an attack, even though there had been several such strikes when US officials came visiting.

"This should have been anticipated. The government has all the laws it wants, including POTO and now POTA since October last year. What has it done for the protection of the people of J&K", asked CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee, while condemning the "ghastly" attacks.

Chatterjee aslo questioned the efficacy of the global coalition against terrorism, wondering how India had benefitted from being part of it. "These Americans have been visiting, now we are holding a joint exercise with them, how has India benefitted?" On the contrary, he said, "now all Indian establishments are exposed to them."

Refusing to indulge in what he called the "blame-game", Congress spokesman Jaipal Reddy too said: "In view of the visit of Christina Rocca the government should have been more alert. This should have been anticipated as it has happened before."

He condemned the "dasardly act" as "one more example of Pakistan-sponsored atrocities" and said it assumed a new dimension in the sense that it was carried out right in the compound of Army family quarters.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha after the break for lunch, put the blame squarely at the door of Advani, demanding that he resign.

Little-known militant groups Al-Mansooran and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen have separately claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in Jammu

[luckyluke]

Looks like abwehr was right and I was wrong.

[Fish out of Water]

*Index Bump

[swarthyguy]

""This should have been anticipated. The government has all the laws it wants, including POTO and now POTA since October last year. What has it done for the protection of the people of J&K", asked CPI(M) leader Somnath Chatterjee"

You can ignore any quotes of this guy; those initials stand for Communist Party India(Marxist - All his comments are designed to cause trouble and are no good.

[Bob J]

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