Surankot (Jammu and Kashmir), Sep 6 - The school is in a dream setting, but many of its students keep having nightmares. They are children of killed militants or of those killed by terrorists, all brought together here.

The Army Goodwill School in Potha village of Poonch district nestles between the Suran river and the range of hills that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. It is part of the army's Operation Sadbhawna (Goodwill) launched in 1998 to win back hearts and minds of people of Jammu and Kashmir. There are 51 such schools in the state with 11,353 students in all.

The school was opened in 2003 at primary level and has now moved up to class 10, with 575 students in all.

Class 9 student Rashid Zameer is the son of a former militant. He does not want to talk about that 'dark phase' of his life. 'Let's not talk of who my father is. Let's talk about my aim in life,' Zameer told this visiting IANS correspondent.

'I want to become a commander in the army and my family has no objection at all,' said Rashid confidently. He said that from childhood he used to watch soldiers around his house in Fazalabad village, conducting anti-militancy operations. 'It is due to the army that we are finally safe and able to live peacefully. Had it not been for the army our lives would have been doomed.'

Class 7 student Saria Bano is the daughter of a former militant. She does not want to to share her nightmares.