It was yet another bloody day in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday. Two Indian jawans, a Pakistan soldier, and three terrorists were killed in two separate incidents.
In the first incident, three local lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorists were killed and an Army officer was injured in an overnight gunfight in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said on Thursday. In the second incident, members of the Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistan Army breached heavily guarded line of Control (loC) for the third time this year and targeted area domination patrol of the Indian Army, 600 metres inside the Indian territory in which one intruder was killed while two Indian jawans attained martyrdom in the fierce fight. Both the jawans hailed from Maharashtra.
Following the surprise BAT strike, the entire security grid across the loC has been put in a state of high alert to prevent similar strikes.
According to Defence sources, the members of the BAT had came dangerously close to one of the forward Indian posts in Poonch sector to carry out some “barbaric” strike, but alert Indian jawans managed to repulse the attack.
While the action was taking place on ground zero, the Pakistan Army occupying higher peaks in the region targeted several forward Indian posts to help Pak intruders extricate one of the seriously injured members of the BAT team. The body of another intruder was still lying close to the loC inside the Indian territory and could not be recovered due to heavy exchange of fire in the area till the time of filing the report.
According to field reports, the BAT attacks were launched from their two forward posts — “New Bunker” and “lC” posts — in broad daylight on Thursday to target the area domination patrol on the Indian side moving between “Gurang” and “Shamila” forward posts in the Poonch sector.
Hours before the BAT strike, Pak Rangers had crossed zero line on foot along the International Border in Ramgarh sector of Samba to participate in the annual fair and offer traditional ‘chaddar’ at the famous shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas (Mela Chamliyal). The Pak Rangers were hosted by their Indian counterparts, BSF. The caretaker of Baba’s shrine on the Pakistani side in Saidanwali village too offered peace prayers in the presence of officers of both the countries. The Pak Rangers were later handed over tractor trolleys of “sharbat” and “shakkar” (holy clay) to be distributed among devotees by the BSF men.
Earlier, a BAT team had carried out a similar strike in Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch on May 1. Before retrieving inside the Pak territory, BAT team had even mutilated bodies of two Indian soldiers.
In Pulwama, the police along with Army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles and paramilitary CRPF launched a joint cordon and search operation late on Wednesday in Bank Mohalla Kakapora, nearly 23 kilometres from Srinagar.
“During the search, the terrorists hiding in the area fired at the search party, resulting in injury to one Army official who is stated to be stable. The fire was retaliated, ensuing an encounter. Three leT terrorists were killed in this encounter,” Srinagar-based Police spokesman said.
The three slain terrorists have been identified as Majid Hameed Mir, Shakir Ahmad Gugjoo, residents of Kakapora and Irshad Ahmad Dar of Aghangipora-Padgampora, Awantipora in Pulwama district. “Two AK rifles and a pistol were recovered from the encounter site,” he said.
The house where the terrorists were holed up was razed to ground in the operation. The spokesman claimed Majid Mir was involved in killings of Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmad of Kandizal and Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmad of Dar Mohalla Kakapora.
“He was also involved in grenade attacks on Police Post Kakapora and bank robbery at Wahibugh in Pulwama,” the spokesman said.
He said Majid along with Shakir Gugjoo were involved in the killing of advocate Abdul Gani, PDP Pulwama district president, in April. They were also accused of killing a civilian Aijaz Ahmad of Urbugh. “They were also involved in the bank robbery at Nehama,” he said.
The killing of three terrorists, however, sparked tension in Pulwama district. Clashes erupted between protesters and police in many parts of the district in which over three dozen people were injured. One of the injured identified as Tawseef Ahmad succumbed to his injures.
Police spokesman said after the burial of terrorists, a mob attacked Kakapora Police Post.
“In order to save lives and Government property, the security forces used riot control measures in which one person identified as Tawseef Ahmad, alias Chhota Geelani, resident of Tengpuna Pulwama was injured. The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries,” he said. “He was a chronic stone pelter and was involved in 10 stone pelting cases right from 2010 and has been earlier booked two times under PSA.”
Meanwhile, Army said that an unidentified terrorist was killed when they foiled an infiltration bid in Keran sector in frontier Kupwara district. “As they (terrorists) were challenged, they opened fire triggering a gunfight. During search, a body of a terrorist was recovered,” Defence sources said, adding that combing operation was underway.