Militants regrouping in PoK to cross over to Indian side

Islamabad, May 15 (PTI) Militants have regrouped in
large numbers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and are crossing
the Line of Control to sneak into the Indian side of the
Himalayan region, local residents and political leaders have
said.
The militants have regrouped and launched jehadi
activities in the Neelum valley on the Pakistani side of the
LoC, local politician Arif Shahid said. Local residents and
Shahid said the militants were not from PoK.
"Jihadi activities have been restarted during the last
few weeks," said Shahid, the secretary general of the All
Parties National Alliance.
"Most of the activities are concentrated in the Neelum
valley along the LoC," Shahid told the BBC.
Shahid, who had visited the region with other APNA
leaders, said the militants were based there in large numbers
and had set up camps in the area.
"The men are not locals – they have long hair and
beards. Most do not speak the local language," he said.
Residents of Neelum valley backed Shahid's assertions.
"We are scared... The armed men are moving around the area and
are trying to cross the border," a local resident said.
"We can make out from their appearances and languages
they are not from any part of Kashmir," the resident said.
Shahid said he believed that militants are planning to
sabotage ongoing peace negotiations between India and
Pakistan.
"They have set up camps in the region and many are
crossing the border... This is the start of another proxy
war," he said.
Following a meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh
last month, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries
recently agreed to meet in Islamabad on July 15 to nudge the
peace process forward.
Shahid's comments were supported by Jammu and Kashmir
National Liberation Front leader Shaukat Maqbool Bhat. "The
fighters are there and they are regularly crossing into
India," Bhat said.
"The local people are very scared – they believe the
(militant) crossings are going to restart artillery exchanges
between the Pakistani and Indian armies," Bhat said.
Indian and Pakistani troops regularly fought artillery
duels and exchanged small arms fire till a ceasefire was put
in place along the LoC in November 2003. (MORE) PTI