700 terrorists in JK, Pak funding them: DGP

There are nearly 700 terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and the infiltrating militants in the state are getting funds and equipment from Pakistan, said Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda on Saturday.

"There are about 700 terrorists of different outfits operating in the state and these may include some who had surrendered earlier," Khoda said, when asked by reporters whether militants who had surrendered in the past have again taken to arms.

However, he said the number of former Ultras who have rejoined militant outfits is negligible.

When asked if there had been an increase in infiltration bids from across the International Border and the Line of Control, the DGP said they had shown a decline in recent years and most of them had been foiled by the security forces.

"Their strategy is to send more terrorists inside our territory before the onset of the winter or when passes open with the melting of snow, but our troops have foiled their attempts and killed many of them along the borders.

The DGP also charged Pakistani establishment with providing logistic support to infiltrators, including funding and equipment to vitiate the atmosphere and increase violence in Jammu and Kashmir, besides coordinating the activities of different outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba for the purpose.

There was a decline of 35 percent militancy-related incidents in the state in 2008 as compared to 2007, whereas the current year has registered a drop of about 23-24 percent in such incidents in comparison to last year, the DGP said.

Attributing this to the well-coordinated surgical operations based on hard intelligence inputs by the security forces and police, Khoda said his team is doing quite a good job to ensure peace and development in the state.

To a question on the sense of insecurity being expressed by Rukhsana Kousar who along with her brother Aijaz killed a hardcore militant in Rajouri, he said the girl and her family have been provided with all the security they needed.

Asked whether terror suspect David Coleman Headley and T H Rana, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US last month on the charges of plotting a major terror strike in India at the behest of the LeT, had links with militants in J&K, the DGP said nothing has so far emerged on this.