Posted on 08/28/2008 11:39:11 AM PDT by swarthyguy
Eleven persons including three Army jawans, one of them a JCO, five civilians and three militants were killed while six others including three Army personnel, two civilians and a woman were injured as three fidayeens, who had infiltrated in wee hours of yesterday morning from Kanachak sector, managed to hijack a load carrier auto carrying Gujjars along with their milk containers at Gadla, Kanachak this morning and travelled more than 15 kms before taking shelter in a house at Chinore near Bantalab on on old Jammu-Akhnoor road taking nine persons including four children and three women hostage.
The operation, which was completely taken over by Army after initial presence of para-military and police, started at about 7 am and concluded at around 1 am in the midnight tonight. The operation lasted 18 hours.
Two Armymen including a JCO and a Havildar and three civilians were killed before the militants took shelter in the house of one Billoo Ram Bhagat at Chinore at about 6.45 am while two civilians, a Territorial Army jawan and three militants were killed and a woman was injured in the gun-battle inside the house which concluded in the mid-night.
A total of 10 civilians were held hostage by the militants soon after they intruded into the house of Billoo Ram after travelling in an auto from Kanachak to Chinore early this morning. Of them, Billoo’s mother, Veero Devi managed to escape and was rescued by Army in the morning.
Soon after entering inside, militants gunned down a Territorial Army jawan Sham Murari, who had intruded into the house while following the militants, Ashok Kumar, a private teacher who had been putting up as a tenant in the house and Kalu Ram, a neighbour, who had gone to Billoo’s house to inquire his condition as he had suffered a snake bite.
Maj Gen D L Chowdhary, GOC 26 Division told reporters in the mid-night that all other six civilians (Billoo Ram’s wife, Sunita Kumari, his four children, Sheetal Devi, 9 and Kajal, 4, both daughters, Arshit, 5 and Vipan, 3, both sons and Sunita Devi’s brother) were rescued safely.
During the commando operation, in which all three militants were killed, Army didn’t suffer any casualties. All three Army casualties were suffered before the operation actually started.
Sunita Devi’s brother told the newsmen that the militants after killing three persons asked him to hand over one of the child to him. However, he locked himself, his sister and all four children in a room and bolted the room from inside. Sunita was injured in firing by one of the militant at about 10.30 am when he came out to see security situation outside and cause casualties of the Army but was immediately gunned down by the troops.
With a bullet wound in her thigh, she was referred to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, tonight after being rescued by the Army. Her condition was out of danger, Medical Superintendent, GMC Dr Romesh Gupta told the Excelsior in the mid-night.
While the first militant was eliminated by the troops around 10.30 am, the second militant was gunned down in a commando operation by Army at around 7 pm. The third ultra was killed by the commandos before 9 pm. However, the operation was declared closed in the mid-night as troops ensured that there was no other militants present inside.
It took the four children more than two hours to come out of the day long trauma they had gone through hearing the sound of gun shots which were often exchanged between Army and militants.
Maj Gen Chowdhary said the presence of more militants after infiltration in Jammu can’t be ruled out. In reply to another question, he added that target of the militants being Wednesday afternoon’s rally of the Sangarsh Samiti was not ruled out.
The children were not allowed to speak to the media as they were yet to come out of the trauma while Sunita’s husband Billoo Ram rushed to hospital for treatment of his wife. Sunita’s brother told reporters that he not bolted the children inside the room the casualty figure would have been much more.
Official sources confirmed that all three militants appeared to be members of suicide squad of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit and were believed to be Pakistanis though their identity hasn’t been established immediately. They were part of the same group which had infiltrated into Indian territory from Kanachak sector on the intervening night of August 25 and 26.
Earlier in the evening, Army pressed Moulvis of its nearby JAK Li unit into service and got an appeal made to the militants through megaphone and Public Address System (PAS) to surrender and release the captives on the ground that Islam didn’t preach keeping the women and children as hostages. Later, two national news channels also spoke to the militants inside the house from New Delhi on mobile telephone of Billoo Ram—9469289726, which was left by Billoo inside when he had come out of the house in the morning. The militants claimed on the telephonic calls that all hostages inside the house including children were safe.
The militants while travelling in a load carrier from village Gadla in Lalyala area of Kanachak, which they had hijacked at 5.30 am after coming out of the bushes they had been hiding for last 30 hours after their infiltration on August 25 night, crossed several Army and police nakas at Kanachak, Mishriwalla, Domana and Machine Domana before reaching Chinore. An Army Subedar (JCO) was killed and three Army jawans were injured when they tried to stop the load carrier auto at two different nakas at Kanachak Dak Bungalow and Domana.
Militants fired at random at other nakas while at entering Chinore they started firing on the civilians killing three more, one of whom was incidentally an Army official who had come to his house on leave and had refused to give militants a lift in his auto as the ultras wanted to change the load carrier they were initially riding in. Other civilians killed in the firing include an ex-serviceman and a youth, who had gone to take milk on his motor-cycle. A civilian died of hear attack in Chinore during the gun-battle. Two other civilians were injured in the firing while a Gujjar, who was thrown out of the auto by militants for protesting their acts, had a narrow escape as he too was shot at. A police constable, Joginder Singh, going for a walk in Chinore was also fired upon but he too survived.
Despite a high alert which security agencies and police claimed to have sounded yesterday after reports of three militants having successfully infiltrated from Kanachak sector making a mockery of BSF’s security apparatus to plug infiltration bids, the militants managed to travel more than 15 kms distance opening firing and killing and injuring Army personnel and civilians.
"This shows the ‘high alert’ on ground displayed by police which couldn’t intercept the auto even at a single naka during more than 15 kms distance from Kanachak to Chinore", a civilian, Krishan Kumar remarked at the site of encounter. Strong resentment was prevailing in Jammu against BSF’s complete failure not only to prevent infiltration attempt but to trace the militants who were reported to have spent nearly 28 hours in bushes along the border before coming out this morning. "The militants managed to cut fencing and intruded inside, stayed at the border for 30 hours despite claims of massive search operations by different security agencies and then moved freely in the areas adjacent to Jammu City. This shows how alert our security agencies are", another civilian, Leela Ram, said.
Official sources and eye-witness account revealed that three militants, who had intruded into this side after cutting barbed wire fencing at about 12.30 am on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, came out of the bushes where they had been hiding (after the intrusion) at around 5.30 am this morning and hijacked a load carrier auto No. 5843 JK02C at village Gadla in Lalyala area of Kanachak sector. Two militants took positions on front seat of the auto and one on the back as five to six Gujjars along with their large milk containers were also sitting in back portion of the auto. The militants were wearing ‘khaki’ dresses of police which they had brought with them from Pakistan and were carrying assault rifles, ammunition belts, grenades and some other devices.
The auto was first intercepted by an Army naka outside Kanachak Dak Bungalow where they opened indiscriminate firing injuring two Army jawans identified as Havildar Netar Singh and Sepoy Yashpal, both from Ist JAK Li and forced auto driver Darshan Lal son of Leelu Ram R/o Gadla, Kanachak to move ahead at gun point.
They forced the auto driver to drive towards main Jammu-Akhnoor road where they were again stopped by an Army naka at Mishriwalla. At this naka, no one was injured though the militants fired several shots. At Domana, Army officials signaled the auto to stop but both the militants sitting on front seat again fired indiscriminately killing Naib Subedar (JCO) VVK Parkashan on spot. An Army jawan Sepoy Pal Panion of 61 Field Regiment chased the auto on a civilian’s motor-cycle but he too was shot at by the militants and injured seriously.
Sources said a Gujjar identified as Mohd Shabir tried to grapple with the militant sitting on back portion of the auto in a bid to snatch his weapon. The militant threw him out of the vehicle near Domana and opened firing on him but he survived the shots.
The militants then took the route of Bawa Talab-Raipur from Machine, Domana and reached Keran Patian where the auto stopped. The auto driver, Darshan Lal, told the militants that it won’t move ahead in view of sharp ascent. The militants abandoned the auto and hijacked another brand new unnumbered load carrier auto being driven by Havildar Vijay Kumar son of Sita Ram R/o Keran Patian, who had come to his house on leave from his place of posting at Jaipur and was driving the auto of his father to reach to the main road from where he was scheduled to leave for Himachal Pradesh.
Vijay Kumar categorically refused to give lift to the militants and was shot dead.
The militants, rendered without a vehicle, then started targeting civilians and opened firing on a motor-cycle killing Showkat Hussain son of Saif Ali R/o Khairi, Bantalab. Showkat’s brother, a police constable who was sitting behind on the bike, had a narrow escape in the firing. Another constable, Joginder Singh too survived the firing.
The militants tried to enter into the house of another Subedar (Retired) JCO Naseeb Singh son of Vidhu Singh but he too resisted the attempt and was gunned down.
Two labourers, moving in the village, were also shot at by the militants and injured seriously. They have been identified as Uttam Acharya son of George Acharya R/o Assam and Ragha Behlev Rai son of Berin Rai R/o Bihar, both of whom were putting up at Keran Patian.
Three injured Army jawans and two labourers have been admitted in Military Hospital and GMC Jammu respectively. Bodies of killed persons have been shifted to hospital for post-mortem. Reports said a 60 year old civilian Sarasa Ram son of Mangi Ram R/o Chinore suffered a heart attack after hearing sound of gun shots during the gunbattle and was rushed to GMC Jammu where he breathed his last.
The ultras tried to enter several other houses but since most of the people were sleeping as it was around 6.15 am that the militants had entered Keran Patian and doors of most of the houses at that time were closed. However, they managed to enter the house of Billoo Ram Bhagat, who himself had gone to GMC Jammu for the treatment of snake bite, and held eight persons including his mother, wife, four children, a teacher who was living in the house as a tenant and a neighbour as hostages.
Before entering into the house of Billoo Ram, the militants fired shots on Chinore police post, which was close to the house of Ram.
According to sources, JAK Li Cantonment and a private school Coventary Scholars were also close to Billoo’s house. Since the school was closed in view of bandh, a major catastrophe was averted.
While two militants took position on ground floor of the house, where all civilians were held captives, the third ultra entered first floor of the house.
In the meantime, auto driver Darshan Lal had informed about movement of the militants to police. Local people had also sounded Army and police after hearing the sound of gun shots.
Troops from nearby JAK Li Cantonment, para-military and police personnel rushed to the spot. Soon re-enforcement of Army also reached the village and cordoned off double-storey building of Billoo Ram.
GOC 26 Division Maj Gen D L Chowdhary, IGP Jammu K Rajendera, SSP Jammu Manohar Singh and other senior Army, para-military and police officers camped at the spot directing and supervising the search operation. However, late in the afternoon, Army took total control of the situation.
Billoo Ram rushed back from the GMC Jammu after getting a report of the militants intruding into his house and gave a map of his house both on first and second floor to help Army launch the operation.
At about 10.30 am, one of the militant came out of the house from the first floor and was shot dead. After his killing, the firing stopped from the militants’ side. Army too exercised restraint and explored various options to kill the two remaining militants and simultaneously rescue the civilians holed-up inside.
Maj Gen D L Chowdhary, GOC 26 Division told the reporters while supervising the operation in the morning that Army wanted to avoid collateral damage and the lives of hostages had to be saved at any cost.
Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Col S D Goswami said it was a fidayeen attack, most likely by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants. The joint operation was conducted by Army and para-military forces, he added.
Reliable sources said all three militants were believed to be Pakistanis though one of them, who spoke to national news channels on mobile telephone of Billoo Ram, left in his house, claimed himself as a Kashmiri.
Sources said the militant, who identified himself as Talha Gira of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, told the channels that they have come for a ‘jehad’ and will pursue their ‘path’ till peace is restored in Kashmir. He denied having held the civilians hostage saying they were left in the house when they entered inside and all of them were safe and sound. In a bid to give a twist to the story, the militant denied that he had entered from Kanachak sector saying their group had come via road.
In response to appeals made by the Moulvis from JAK Li from Public Address System and megaphones to the militants called by Army, the militants refused to surrender saying they have come to fight for ‘jehad’ and would stick to their stand. Even the appeal by Moulvis’ to release the innocent children and women as holding them hostage was against the teachings of Islam, were not heard by the militants, who refused to release the hostages.
Earlier, before launching the operation, Army evacuated all civilians in the vicinity of Billoo Ram’s house and shifted them to safer places. Most of the people in Chinore left their houses and moved towards fields where local people arranged a ‘langar’ and water for them. The people also offered their full assistance to the Army.
IGP Jammu K Rajendera said security forces and police nakas initially took the militants sitting on front seat of the auto as police personnel as they were wearing ‘khaki’ uniform. However, when the militants started firing at the nakas, they were chased. Security forces and police had to exercise restraint as five to six milkmen were also sitting in the auto and random firing would have killed them, he added.
Regarding target of the militants, Mr Rajendera said all inputs had been pointing out that the militants wanted to target Jammu City. It may be mentioned here that Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti had planned to hold a rally at Parade Ground at 4 pm today but it was cancelled in the morning after the report of terror attack spread.
"Chinore was not the target. However, while firing at random, the militants shifted towards Chinore from Domana", the IGP Jammu said, adding there was no vital installation at Chinore where the ultras would have plotted to strike.
Security forces and police, meanwhile, conducted searches at Bandu Rakh, Makwal, Bobiya, Pansar, Bhagwati Nagar, Nagrota and Kunjwani-Bishnah road in Jammu and Samba districts after people informed about the movement of suspects. However, the movement of militants was not spotted anywhere.
In the morning, after the militants had managed to escape from Kanachak, police recovered two bags from Lalyala from where the militants had come out and hijacked the auto. The bags contained two combat jackets and dresses and a number of eatables including dry fruits and packets of sweet water bearing stamps of ‘Made in Pakistan’. Some of the eatables had manufacturing addresses of Lahore, which confirmed that the militants were Pakistanis and had infiltrated from across.
Meanwhile, there was strong resentment among the people of Jammu against the BSF whom they charged with total failure in preventing infiltration attempts by the militants from across the border.
"First they failed in Samba sector in second week of May this year when three militants had easily sneaked-in cutting fencing and entered Samba town where they had killed four civilians and two Army jawans before being killed by Army", the people, who rang up the Excelsior, said.
They added that a very similar incident has now been repeated in Kanachak where again the militants cut fencing, travelled through the main road and reached Chinore killing and injuring civilians and Army personnel. The people regretted that both BSF and police have not been keeping the vigil properly. "Had both agencies acted swiftly, the casualties could have been easily averted", they said.
According to the people, the most surprising was the presence of militants in Kanachak border for more than 30 hours where several security agencies claimed to have launched a massive operation to nab the militants after infiltration was clearly detected with cutting of fencing and all agencies have put the figure of intruders between three to five.
People called for deployment of Army along the international border in Jammu to prevent repeat of such incidents.
Meanwhile, reliable sources didn’t rule out the possibility of LeT leadership having intentionally planned the operation at this stage to sabotage the nationalist agitation in Jammu "at the behest of outfit’s leadership in Kashmir".
The MO of this operation follows a successful one by Paki jihadis in 02 or 03 but that was more successful in the mayhem and casualties they caused.
Bump.
Do we really need the pic of the guy’s brains blown out?
NO you don’t prolly, but thanks for snitching.
"Snitching"???
Did you ever stop to think that some of us don't want to see that, or potentially have our children see that if one of them were to come into the room?
There are a lot of FReepers of all ages and backgrounds. Try to think a bit about what you post.
Sweetie, it’s the war against jihad.
This is what it consists of.
LOL! for the chillun, of course, the catchall.
Yeah, snitch, you know the type of kid in kindergarten who always ran whining to the teacher...
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