Bloody gunfights in B’pora, Rafiabad
Mir Tariq / Showkat Nanda
Bandipora/Baramulla, Sep 23: Two Army Majors and equal number of troopers and four militants were killed in two separate fierce encounters at Bandipora and Rafiabad in North Kashmir.
The Bandipora residents allege that the owner of the house where the gunfight took place has disappeared while his son was arrested by police.
A senior army official said 13 Rashtriya Rifles, 1 Para and 4 Para troopers on specific information laid siege around the house of one Muhammad Rehmatullah Mir (Rehat Mir) at Banyari, Hajin village of Bandipora on Monday afternoon. “The militants present inside were asked to surrender. But they turned down the offer and at around 4.25 pm opened fire on the troopers. The fire was returned, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing gunfight, which continued for 26 hours, two militant commanders, an army Major and a trooper were killed,” he said.
Police identified the slain militants as Abu Pasha and Abu Musa - District Commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba respectively. Both the militant commanders, according to police, were active in the area from past many years and one of them carried an award of Rs 11 lakhs on his head.
Major Suresh Suri and an NCO Khushal of 13 RR were also killed in the encounter. Two Majors Gautam Raj Reshi and Kamlesh Kumar, NCO Mahipal Singh and Sepoy Naveen were injured and have been hospitalised.
Source told Rising Kashmir that the militants took Major and a trooper accompanying him as hostage when they tried to enter inside the house. “The militants killed them and later fired from automatic weapons towards the troopers, who had laid siege around the house. In the ensuing gunfight, which lasted for 26 hours, two holed-up militants were killed and three troopers including two officers critically injured,” they said.
They said that the two-storied residential house and a cowshed were completely destroyed during the gunfight.
It is the first ever gunfight in Banyari village, which is located in the heart of famous Wular Lake and surrounded by more than 10 Army camps and Naval camp.
Banyari, Hajin area was once the hub of Ikhwanis (pro-government gunmen).
“It was first ever encounter in area in 20 years. We fail to understand how militants sneaked in the village, which is surrounded by Army and Navy camps,” said a villager.
He said army fired heavy shells towards the house, where from they were facing still resistance from the militants. “At least 50 houses in the village have developed cracks due to the shelling,” he said.
Army spokesman, Uma Maheshwar said two militants, a Major and a sepoy were killed in the Bandipora encounter.
House owner missing, son arrested
Locals said that the house owner Muhammad Rehmatullah Mir disappeared during the encounter while his son Showket Ahmed Mir was arrested by police.
“Our father has disappeared. He was with us before the eruption of encounter but now we don’t know his whereabouts as his cell is switched-off,” daughter of Mir told Rising Kashmir.
She said her brother Showket was picked up by police in front of the family members.
Locals fear that army may have picked up elderly Mir during the operation and demanded immediate and unconditional release of house owner and his son.
SP Bandipora Junaid Shiekh admitted that police have arrested Showket. “He has been picked up for investigation purpose. We don’t know anything about the house owner Rehamtullah Mir,” Junaid said.
4-day long encounter in Rafiabad
Police sources said 32 RR personnel launched a combing operation in the Compartment 41 and 44 of Ladu Ladoora forest area in Rafiabad on Sunday (September 20) evening to flush out the militants hiding there. “During the operation, the militants hiding in the area fired from automatic weapons on the troopers. The fire was returned and the gunbattle continued for four days during which both uses used heavy weapons and grenades,” they said.
Sources said during the gunfight, army used highly trained para-troopers and MARCOS commandos to flush out the militants, who offered still resistance to them. The Marcos is the most highly trained among the soldiers of Indian defense forces. The commandos were air dropped with the help of helicopters.
“Two militants, an army officer and a trooper were killed in the fierce gunfight, which culminated on Wednesday,” they said.
The deceased troopers were identified as Junior Commissioned Officer Chandrasekhar of elite commando force MARCOS and Lance- Naik Faltankar Divakar Daduram of 32 RR.
The slain militants have not been identified but are believed be affiliated to Al-Badr outfit.
Commando Jidev, Lance Naik Bharat Singh and Rifleman Ram Sharma were injured in the gunfight and hospitalised.
“Two militants and two soldiers were killed in the 4-day long gunfight. The operation has been called off,” DIG North A.Q. Manhas told Rising Kashmir.
Police said one of the militants was killed on first day of the encounter near Qafir Naar, Ladu Rafiabad while other was killed on Wednesday near Vigi Top.
Army spokesman, Uma Maheshwar said two troopers including a Major and two militants were killed in the Raifabad encounter.
