Home minister to review situation in battle-torn Rajouri

Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta will visit Rajouri on Sunday to take stock of the situation in the border district where fighting between the militants and the security forces continued for the seventh day.

A top state government official said the home minister will review the law and order situation in the state with Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. Gupta will then fly to Rajouri to assess the situation.

Police sources confirmed that scores of families have migrated from the Thana Mandi area of Rajouri district. Efforts were on to send them back to their respective villages, they said.

"They have migrated because of fear following the clashes between the militants and security forces in the Thana Mandi area," a senior police officer told Rediff On The NeT. He said the situation remained peaceful throughout the day on Friday and added that security forces were conducting massive combing operations.

"The terrain is very tough. The militants have been attacking security forces from the hilltops. But we will soon neutralise them," he said. He said that shops and business establishments opened in the Thana Mandi area and schools and government offices functioned normally on Friday. But he admitted there was tension in Thana Mandi, where fighting erupted after militants attacked army troops with grenades and assault rifles, killing six soldiers, including three officers, and wounded three others. The fighting spread to the thick forests around Thana Mandi.

Police sources said on Thursday night that militants and security forces exchanged fire, but said there were no casualties. The state administration has decided to rush three companies of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police to Rajouri, to be deployed in Thana Mandi and other areas.

Police sources admit that militants have been sneaking into Rajouri from POK. They said nearly 80 militants carrying sophisticated arms were active in the Thana Mandi area.