Third time this year: Army death count 5 in Rajouri-Poonch encounters
*Ultras expert in sniper shots target troops from hills
*Both were involved in Dhangri, Kandi terror attacks
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 23: Security forces today eliminated two Afghanistan-trained foreign terrorists operating in Kalakote for last few days and in the border district of Rajouri for nearly one year who were holed-up in Bajimaal area of Dharamshal since yesterday while another Army soldier attained martyrdom in the gun battle taking death count of Army to five, two of them Captains while two others including a Major were injured.
With this, 30-hour long encounter at Bajimaal has come to an end as security forces believed that only two terrorists were involved in the operation and both of them have been killed. Movement of only two terrorists was being observed in Kalakote for the past few days especially after they appeared in the house of late religious preacher.
This is for the third time this year that five Army soldiers have been martyred in the gun battle in Rajouri and Poonch districts. On April 20 and May 5, five bravehearts each sacrificed their lives for the nation at Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar, Poonch and Kandi, in Rajouri, respectively.
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High count of deaths on the Army is being attributed to the terrorists taking position atop the hills and then using sophisticated weapons to target the troops.
In Bajimaal gun battle too, the terrorists had stationed themselves atop hills from where they targeted Capt MV Pranjal led team in which the Captain fighting bravely got martyred. Major DS Mehra-led team followed him and the Major along with a soldier were injured and evacuated. Capt Shubham Gupta headed team then marched ahead and while trying to eliminate the terrorists, three of them including the Captain lost their lives.
Another jawan was martyred in subsequent encounter this morning.
Officials said Army used drones and other sophisticated equipments to pin point location of the terrorists who were injured last night and were holed-up in forest area of Bajimaal. In the fresh gun battle in the morning, both terrorists were gunned down.
Five Army soldiers martyred in the operation include Capt MV Pranjal of Mangalore, Karnataka, Capt Shubham Gupta of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Havildar Abdul Majid of Ajote, Poonch, Lance Naik, Sanjay Bisht of Nainital, Uttar Pradesh and Paratrooper Sachin Laur of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Four of the martyrs were from Special Forces (para-commandos). It may be mentioned that in May 5 operation at Kandi forests in Rajouri district, all five martyrs were para commandos.
Both slain Pakistani terrorists were Pakistani terrorists, trained in Afghanistan and were experts in sniper shooting. One of them has been identified as Quari.
“They were trained on the Pakistan and Afghanistan front. Both were highly ranked terrorist leader of the Lashkar-e-Toiba,” the officials said.
Quari, a top LeT commander, was active in Rajouri-Poonch along with his group from past one year, police said, adding that he is also believed to be mastermind of Dhangri and Kandi attacks in Rajouri district. Seven civilians from minorities were killed at Dhangri on January 1 this year.
The terrorists were sent to revive terrorism in the region, they said. Quari was an expert in IEDs, a trained sniper and operated from caves.
The identity of the other terrorist is being verified.
The two injured Army personnel — a Major and a jawan — are admitted at the Army’s Command Hospital in Udhampur where their condition is stated to be stable.
Slain terrorists were in possession of large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives which have been recovered by the security forces. Their bodies have been shifted for medico-legal formalities.
Bodies of the martyrs will be sent to their home towns tomorrow morning after tribute by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Army Commanders.
The encounter in Rajouri comes close on the heels of another gunfight in Behrote in Budhal area on November 17, in which one terrorist was killed.
Two earlier ambushes in the Mendhar area of Poonch and Kandi forest of Rajouri on April 20 and May 5, respectively, had claimed the lives of 10 soldiers.
According to officials, 46 deaths have been recorded in terrorism-related incidents in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and nearby Reasi district since January this year.
While 23 people, including seven terrorists and nine security personnel, were killed in Rajouri, 15 terrorists and five security personnel in Poonch district. Three terrorists were killed in Reasi district.
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