Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 24: Four Army personnel and an Engineering College student-turned-militant were killed in a fierce gun battle that raged early today in a forest village in Tral area of South Kashmir while Pakistan troops violated the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire in Nowgam and Tangdar sectors of North Kashmir.
The Deputy Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that three Army personnel were killed in Bicchu village in Tral area of South Kashmir in forests in militant firing. “One of the Army jawan was critically injured and removed to the Army’s 92-Base hospital in Badami Bagh Cantonment where he succumbed to his injuries”, he said.
“The 42 and 3 Rashtriya Rifles of counter-insurgency Victor Force of Army and Special Operation Group of Jammu and Kashmir Tral launched an operation early in the morning after information about the presence of militants in the forest area near village of Bicchu Bala. Militants hiding in the forests opened fire killing 3 Army men of 3 RR and injuring one”, DIG said.
Police sources identified the Army personnel killed in the gun battle as Riflemen Dalbeer Singh, Ashwin Kumar and Ajeet Singh, and Constable Kanwaljeet Singh of 3 RR. The militant has been identified as 21-year-old Saifullah Ahangar alias Burhan son of Mohammad Rafiq Ahanger of Hariparigam Tral in South Kashmir. Ahangar was studying in SSM Engineering College Parihaspora and had joined militancy 2 months ago. His brother Zahoor Ahmad Ahangar was killed three years ago.
Srinagar based Defence spokesman Naresh Kumar told Excelsior that Army and police launched a joint operation early in the morning. “Our troops cordoned off the area and began search operations, during which a party of 3 RR was fired at by militants hiding in nearby forest, resulting in the on spot death of 3 Army personnel and injury to another who later succumbed to injuries in the hospital”, the spokesman added.
Police sources said that militants snatched 3 AK-47 rifles from the dead Army personnel and fled away to nearby Bicchu Payeen village. The militants left behind the two SLRs which they had taken away from a minority security picket in village Arigam, Tral in May last year.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the village and three militants hiding in a house fired at the troops resulting in an encounter in which a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Saifullah Ahangar was killed. The other two militants fled away and Army and police have launched a massive search operation against them.
One snatched AK rifle of the Army and an SLR magazine was recovered from the possession of the dead militant. The body of the militant was handed over to his relatives for last rites.
As the encounter broke out, Inspector General of Police A G Mir, DIG South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, GOC Victor Force other Senior Police and Army officers rushed to the spot to access the situation.
Hizbul Mujahideen claimed the responsibility of killing the Army men and its spokesman said that the operation was carried out by 5 member squad of the outfit. “Four members have reached the to their hide outs safely while one was killed. It was a five member squad who killed 5 Army men and wounded 7 others”, a local news agency quoted Hizb spokesman Baleegudin.
In the meantime, Pakistani troops along Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector of North Kashmir fired on Indian posts this evening with small arms violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two countries, Defence spokesman Naresh Kumar told Excelsior.
An Army officer said that the ceasefire violation took place in the evening at Kayan bowl in Toot Mari Gali (TMG) sub-sector in Nowgam sector of North Kashmir when Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions without any provocation. “The main reason behind the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops is to give cover to militants across the LoC to help them in infiltrating into Kashmir valley”, he said.
The officer said that the firing started at around 6:15 p.m. and intermittent firing is going on. “Indian troops also fired back with small arms and the intermittent firing was going on till late night”, the officer said.
Earlier in the morning Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Tangdar sector of Kupwara at around 10 a.m. “However, it was a localised firing on few posts in South Tangdar sector which lasted for about half an hour”, the officer said.
Indian and Pakistan declared ceasefire along the LoC in 2003 but every year the troops on the LoC exchange fire occasionally.
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