3 fidayeen target Army ambulance after intrusion
BMP-II combat vehicles used Ist time in operation
Phantom sacrifices life,Army pays tribute
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 28: Three foreign terrorists believed to be freshly infiltrated group from the Line of Control (LoC) struck on an Army vehicle at village Battal under the jurisdiction of Khour Police Station this morning but one of them was killed in retaliatory action by the troops while two others are still hiding in the surrounding forests.
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Troops have deployed Special Forces (para commandos), Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), four BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, drones and helicopters to track down the terrorists and eliminate them. However, searches were halted around 7 pm and will be resumed with first light tomorrow but cordons in different forest areas have been strengthened to ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to escape taking cover of darkness.
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Besides Army and police personnel, police teams are involved in the operation which started at 6.30 pm today when the terrorists first appeared at Assan temple in Jogwan area of Battal and asked the people offering prayers to leave as firing could take place in the area, eyewitnesses and officials told the Excelsior.
“As the people started leaving the temple site, the terrorists observed movement of an Army ambulance on the road and fired at the vehicle but the driver managed to accelerate speed and survived along with another person on board,’’ the officials said, adding as soon as the gunshots were heard, Army and police teams rushed to the spot and cordoned off the entire area.
One of the terrorists took shelter in a bunker constructed under hall of the temple while two others fanned into the forest area.
Troops pressed Special Forces, QRTs, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, helicopters and drones into service to track down the terrorists. In the resultant gun fighting, the terrorist who was hiding inside bunker of the temple hall was eliminated around 2.30 pm. His body has been recovered from the spot and he was believed to be a foreigner, most likely a Pakistani national.
The Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty or BMP-II is a 1980-era Soviet Union Infantry Combat Vehicle which has 30mm fully stabilised automatic cannon, 7.62 mm Machine Gun and 4 kms range anti-tank wire-guided ‘Konkurs’ Missile. It can carry seven troopers and three crew members.
It is also equipped with the Night Vision Device and Smoke Grenade Launchers system and has a maximum speed of 45 Kms per hour. These vehicles were deployed for the first time to track down the terrorists in the region.
The vehicles crossed the Tawi River and were strategically positioned near the site of the gunfight. Additional forces were sent to the area.
Officials said that besides an AK assault rifle, several Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from the killed terrorist, whose identity and group affiliation was not immediately known.
While there were no casualties on security forces, a valiant Indian Army dog Phantom, a true hero, sacrificed his life in the operation.
“As our troops were closing in on the trapped terrorists, Phantom drew enemy fire, sustaining fatal injuries. His courage, loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten. In the ongoing operation, one terrorist has been neutralized and war like stores have been recovered so far,’’ a post by White Knight Corps on X said.
Phantom was over four years old with Belgium Malinois breed. He was posted on duty on August 12, 2022 from RVC Centre Meerut, a Defence spokesperson said while saluting his sacrifice.
Officials said all three terrorists were believed to be foreigners, likely Pakistanis, and were freshly infiltrated as the area is around 10 kilometres from the LoC and was earlier also known to be an infiltration route. They were believed to be fidayeens and had come for big action against security forces ahead of Diwali festival but their plans were effectively thwarted by the troops.
Officials said the temple structure was intact but its hall and bunker beneath where the terrorist was hiding was hit by the bullets during elimination of the infiltrator.
Security forces have fanned out into the forests to track down the two surviving terrorists. However, the search operations from different corners were briefly halted with the onset of darkness around 7 pm but will be resumed in early hours of tomorrow morning, the officials said, adding in the meantime security cordons have been strengthened to ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to escape taking cover of darkness.
Locals and officials said Battal route had earlier also been used for infiltration by the terrorists. On some previous occasions also, the locals have observed suspicious movement in the areas and informed police and security agencies.
The Village Defence Groups (VDGs) have also been activated in the area and are conducting searches to ensure that the terrorists don’t manage to escape.
Jammu Zone Additional Director General of Police Anand Jain, DIG Shiv Kumar Sharma, SSP Joginder Singh and senior Army and paramilitary officers are at the scene to oversee the operation. SDPO Akhnoor Mohan Lal Sharma was leading police teams in the operation.
The latest encounter in the Jammu region comes amid a surge in terrorist activities in Kashmir where seven attacks have occurred in the past two weeks, resulting in 13 fatalities, including two soldiers.
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