Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 8: A plot to execute the killings of five Indian Army soldiers was hatched at Kathak Government School, falling between Mandola and Dera Sher Khan forward villages opposite Chakan-Da-Bagh sub sector in Poonch district last week during the visit of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jamat-ul-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Sayeed to the area, official sources said today.
Sources told the Excelsior that officers of Pakistan Army, Special Service Group (Moosa Company) and top militants of Border Action Team (BAT) comprising trained commandos of LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfits had participated in the meeting during the visit of Hafiz Sayeed.
Sayeed had reportedly instigated the militant commanders to carry out action on the LoC even if they had to execute the act without support of Pakistan Army or commandos.
Confirming that the action by Pakistan Army, commandos and militants of LeT and JeM outfit was “pre-planned” and executed after recee of the area, sources said the highly trained soldiers and militants were involved in the attack, which was evident from the fact that they returned to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) within five to 10 minutes of the firing without being noticed by the troops from their forward posts.
“The fact that attack was over within few minutes was a clear indication that highly trained Pakistan Army soldiers, commandos and dreaded terrorists were involved in it,” sources said pointing out that they had picked up the spot for laying ambush where they were at the position of advantage.
The “Group of 20” raiders in Pakistan uniform had split themselves at four places from where they fired at the area domination patrol of six Army jawans at 1 am on the intervening night of August 5 and 6 killing five of them on spot and injuring another, they said.
They added that the raiders, who had entered about half kilometer inside the Indian territory, appeared to have conducted recee of the area more than once identifying the route taken by the area domination party during the night and the places from where they had to fire on them.
Sources said the meeting at Kathak Government school between Mandola and Dera Sher Khan areas of PoK opposite Chakan-Da-Bagh sub sector of Poonch appeared to have taken place early last week. The attack on Army was planned in a bid to demoralize the troops, who had not allowed any infiltration attempt to succeed this year on the LoC.
However, they added, the troops were very alert and were ready to give effective reply to Pakistan as and when required.
“Troops were fully alert. They were not demoralized though the killings of five of their colleagues have shaken them. The jawans were conducting regular patrol of the area and were ready to meet with any eventuality,” they said.
Sources said the operatives of the Musa company of the SSG, which is tasked for carrying out such ‘hit’ operations, would have also been involved in attack.
According to sources, the SSG comprised seven battalions along with four company level formations. Musa company specialises in amphibious operations and tasks in riverine areas.
In the January attack in which one Indian Army jawan was beheaded by the Pakistan Army teams, SSG troops had taken part in the operations along with LeT terrorists.
The SSG leads the Border Action Teams of Pakistan Army which also includes terrorist elements.
Meanwhile, despite tensions on the LoC, a group of five militants is reported to have made an attempt to infiltrate into the Indian territory from forward area of Chapti in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district at 5.30 am today.
The BSF jawans of 135 battalion, deployed in the area, opened firing to neutralize the militants. After the BSF firing, the militants retreated to PoK, sources said, adding that there were no casualties. The militants were also reported to have fired few shots toward the BSF before fleeing back.
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