*Pak made Universal shoes, dresses recovered on IB
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 27: In first major terror attack during six months of Narendra Modi Government, 10 persons including four civilians, three Army soldiers and three militants, who were members of suicide squad, were killed in day long fierce fighting at border village of Kathaar in Arnia sector close to the International Border here after the militants opened indiscriminate firing on sneaking into this side targeting civilians and Army personnel before three of them were eliminated by the troops. Para Commandos of Army, who took over the area after the attack, were trying to eliminate the fourth militant. Four pairs of shoes and dresses recovered from under a culvert near the site of gunbattle indicated that number of the militants was four.
The fidayeen attack came just a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s twin election rallies tomorrow at Udhampur and Poonch and at a time when process for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir was on. Further, the Indo-Pak Prime Ministers were also present at SAARC Summit in Nepal today. The previous major fidayeen attack in Jammu had taken place in Hiranagar area of Kathua district on March 28 this year in which seven persons including three fidayeens were killed just two days after Modi’s first election rally for Lok Sabha elections at Hiranagar.
For the first time, Army used Russian made BMP vehicles (a smaller version of tanks) also called as Infantry Combat Vehicles on ground to destroy some small bunkers, where the militants had taken shelter and ASHEE vehicles, which were capable of neutralizing any impact of explosive devices. Army Para Commandos were rushed to the spot to take control of the operation. One of them was, however, killed in the operation but not before they had succeeded in eliminating three militants and continued searches to trace the remaining fourth militant. Army also pressed helicopters into service to evacuate dead and injured soldiers from the village and conduct recee of the area. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, tweeted that all four militants have been neutralized.
Army, BSF and police personnel continued searches in the border villages till late tonight to sanitize the area of any explosive devices planted by the militants. Army and police had asked entire population of Pindi Kathaar and surroundings villages to evict the houses during the encounter. The people stayed away from their houses even in the night as the operation was still on. The people were staying in the safer zones and would be taken to houses once the operation is completed and all civilian areas were sanitized.
While one of the civilian died in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, bodies of three other civilians and three slain militants were lying at village Kathaar and would be lifted once the area is cleared off the militants and explosive devices.
Army jawans killed in the operation have been identified as Para Commando Balwinder Singh, Naik Kulvinder Singh and Naik Jagzir Singh. Havaldar Satpal Singh was injured. Four civilians killed in the firing have been identified as Sunil Sabherwal, 30, son of Thoru Ram R/o Alla, Vijay Kumar of Batala and Kishore Kumar of Bari Brahmana, who had come to the house of their relatives at Alla and Vicky Kumar of Alla.
All four militants especially the ultra still surviving were battled hardened, which was evident from the fact that he was in possession of Rocket Projectile Gun (RPG), which is used by the Armies of the countries. This also dropped indications that the militants had full backing of Pakistan Army and ISI.
Police have sounded red alert in entire Jammu including educational institutions and all sensitive locations after infiltration of the militants.
Official sources and eyewitnesses told the Excelsior that a group of four fidayeens reportedly infiltrated into the Indian territory from the International Border somewhere in Arnia sector though the BSF maintained that their fencing on the border hadn’t been breached and made their first appearance at 8.40 am at village Kathaar, about two kilometers inside the border, where they opened indiscriminate firing on the civilians, who were moving in the area on motor bikes, cars and tractors or by foot while some others were working in the fields.
Prior to action after their infiltration, the militants had changed their dresses from salwaar-kameez to combat. Army had recovered four pairs of shoes of Pakistan’s Universal Company, five salwaars, three kameez and one blue colour belt from under a small culvert at village Pindi Charkan, close to the International Border.
The militants had left the shoes, salwar-kameez and belt under the culvert and switched over to combat dresses and boots before launching the operation. Army has seized the dresses and shoes left by the militants, which gave them indications that number of the militants was four.
The militants appeared at village Kathaar at around 8.40 am and opened indiscriminate firing on the civilians, who were on way to their routine works killing three of them on spot and injuring another. The injured also succumbed after being evacuated to the GMC Jammu.
The militants then shifted towards the Army bunkers of 157 Territorial Army, which was stationed there as second line protection after the BSF and opened firing on their two bunkers, killing two jawans on the spot and injuring another. They took over one of the Army bunkers and started firing from there on the Army personnel and civilians.
Troops retaliated but the militants had hidden themselves inside the bunker. Another Army jawan, a Para Commando, was killed during fierce fighting with the militants in the afternoon. The Para Commandos had been deployed for the task of eliminating the militants and had taken over the control of entire operation.
As the militants had taken shield of the bunker, troops used Russian made BMP vehicles (smaller tanks) to reach close to the bunkers and destroy them. The Para Commandos of Army were also rushed to the spot. By 3 pm, the troops had eliminated three militants but their fourth colleague eluded the troops. The BMP vehicles were used to create fear psychosis among the militants and avoid casualties of the Army as the militants were well equipped with modernized weaponry and explosive material.
Army also deployed ASHEE vehicles, which were capable of negating impact of explosive devices and prevent such devices from blasting, sources said.
Sources said the lone surviving militants fired from RPG gun at the Army this evening which changing position. Troops retaliated. There was possibility that the militant might have been killed or injured in retaliation but the Army was taking him as alive and would call off the operation only when his body was recovered.
Army, BSF and police kept most parts of Arnia sector sealed till late tonight when the reports last came into ensure that the militant didn’t manage to escape or cause more casualties of troops or civilians. The troops were approaching the bunkers cautiously along the border, sources said, adding the Army was planning to destroy the bunkers after evicting all security personnel to kill the militant, if he was still alive.
Bodies of three civilians were lying on the border. The civilian, who succumbed to the injuries in the GMC Jammu, has been identified as Sunil Sabherwal, 30, son of Thoru Ram, a resident of village Alla.
Eyewitnesses said one of the deceased civilian Vijay Kumar had come to the house of their relatives at Alla from Batala in Punjab and was travelling in a car along with Kishore Kumar of Bari Brahmana. He had dropped his two female relatives at the house and was heading toward Arnia along with Kishore when the militants opened indiscriminate firing killing both of them on spot inside their car.
Another civilian, Vicky Kumar was hit by the bullets while riding on tractor and was killed on the spot. Bodies of three civilians couldn’t be picked up from the village Kathaar in view of firing by the militants during the day amid apprehensions that the surviving militant could open the firing.
Troops wanted to eliminate all militants and sanitize the area of explosives before lifting the bodies and allow civilians back to their houses.
Army airlifted bodies of its three dead soldiers and one injured from the spot and shifted them to Military Hospital, Satwari and Pathankot.
Army also used choppers for conducting recee of the militants briefly before launching ground offensive using tanks for the first time on the ground.
Sources said the tanks had to be used as the militants had taken shelter inside the bunker. Troops killed the three militants inside the Army bunker, where they had taken over after killing or injuring the Army soldiers.
This is for the first time that Army has used the tanks (Infantry Combat Vehicles) to eliminate the fidayeen on ground. Sources said use of tanks helped the Army to eliminate the militants and avoid their own casualties. All fatal casualties of civilians and Army were suffered initially when the militants struck but tactful handling of situation by the Army averted any more casualties.
Army had evacuated civilians from forward village of Kathaar and its surrounding areas while people from some other villages left on their own to avoid any casualties in militant firing. People didn’t return to their houses in several villages in the night following reports that one of the militants was still surviving.
Moreover, there had been reports that the militants might have planted IEDs and other explosive devices in the village before being killed. Troops would sanitize the village before letting the civilians in, sources said.
The militants were well equipped with sophisticated weapons, grenades and other explosive material and were wearing ammunition belts. They had also lobbed a couple of grenades besides resorting to firing after reaching village Kathaar to create panic and take control of the Army bunker.
Sources said the lone surviving militant was most dreaded among the group of four infiltrators and was instrumental in most of the casualties of Army and civilians. Therefore, the troops were taking all precautions and wanted him to exhaust his ammunition.
Moreover, they added, the Army was using small tanks to avoid casualties of their own. The civilians of Kathaar and all surrounding villages have also been shifted to safety and asked not to return till the area is cleared of the militants.
Though identity of the slain militants hasn’t been established, sources said all four infiltrators were believed to be members of suicide squad of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) as modus operandi in all three attacks including two previous militant strikes at Hiranagar were carried out in the same manner.
Though there was no word from the BSF, sources said, all indications pointed out that the militants had infiltrated from across the border. However, the exact area from where they infiltrates was not known. Worthwhile to mention here that during the past three to four months, Pakistan had been trying to infiltrate militants from Arnia sector under the cover of firing and shelling but the BSF had thwarted their all designs. The BSF maintained that its fencing on the borders was intact. It was yet to be examined as from where the militants infiltrated.
“The recovery of salwar-kameez dresses and Pakistan’s Universal company made four pairs of shoes from under a culvert at village Pindi Charkan was another indication that the militants had infiltrated from Pakistan sometime during early hours of this morning and changed their dresses to combat, which they had brought with them from across before carrying out the attack,’’ sources said.
This was first major terror attack in Jammu region during Narendra Modi Government and third during past one year, all of which were reportedly carried out by the fidayeens after infiltration from across the International Border.
The previous terror strike had taken place on March 28, 2014 when three fidayeens had surfaced at Hiranagar, hijacked a vehicle and attacked an Army camp at Anclote in Kathua. Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed by the militants before the troops had eliminated them. The terror attack had taken place just two days after then BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had addressed his first election rally for Lok Sabha elections in Hiranagar after paying obeisance to Goddess Vaishno Devi ji.
Today’s strike came just a day ahead of Modi’s two election rallies for ongoing Assembly elections, which had been scheduled for Udhampur and Poonch tomorrow.
On September 27, 2013, three fidayeen had first appeared at Hiranagar police station in Kathua district and gunned down four police constable and two civilians before hijacking a truck and intruding into Army unit at Samba, where they had killed four Army soldiers including a Lieutenant Colonel before being eliminated by the troops.
Meanwhile, Army today captured a militant from Lam area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri district on the Line of Control (LoC) and foiled militants’ plot to disturb the elections.
The militant, who was arrested at 6.30 am today, has been identified as Abdul Qayoomi alias Punjabi son of Sher Mohammad, a resident of village Leheran, Lam. Troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds, one Pakistan made pistol and Rs 8100 in Pakistan currency from the arrested militant, who has been handed over to police for interrogation.
Sources said Punjabi had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) about seven years back and infiltrated today.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad has strongly condemned terrorist attack in Arnia and said the people were not going to be cowed down by such cowardly acts of terrorists. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and lauded the courage displayed by the martyr jawans.
Azad said the obscurantist and retrogressive forces have brought inexplicable miseries and suffering to the people of the State.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier Rakesh Sharma, however, ruled out infiltration of any militant group at the IB in Jammu sector, saying no breach of fencing was seen anywhere.
“There were no tell-tale signs that anybody has sneaked from this side. We have surveyed 20 km along the border in this area, we have seen no such signs.
“Here everything is alright. There is nothing wrong with the border fencing. Border fencing is totally intact, border lighting is perfectly working and surveillance grid is intact,” Sharma said.
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