All eyes on Ramzan moon

By Shujaat Bukhari

JAMMU, NOV. 26. As militants intensified attacks on the security forces in the past 24 hours, killing four Army personnel, all eyes are on the Ramzan moon, expected to show up on Tuesday, the first day of the holy month when the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Centre will come into force.

The anti-ceasefire intentions of militant outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Badr, Harkat-ul Mujahideen and Jaish-e- Mohammad, could be gauged when hours after the Army's Northern Command chief, Lt. Gen. H.M. Khanna, issued directions to field commanders to stop combat operations, a group of Al-Badr militants attacked an Army camp in Putshai in north Kashmir.

However, the focus is on the first day of Ramzan, more so since the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, has linked the ceasefire to the holy month. Though the Hizb chief, Syed Salahuddin, has asserted that his outfit would intensify attacks, top security officials quoting ground reports said they may not strike. But nothing could be said about other tanzeems (outfits).

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