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On LoC, biggest Op since Kargil: 15 Terrorist shot Dead, hunt still on.

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  • On LoC, biggest Op since Kargil: 15 Terrorist shot Dead, hunt still on.

    http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ntent_id=75468

  • #2
    vicky007,

    When you start a new thread, along with the link, you should also post at least a couple of paragraphs (if not more) from the article.

    Otherwise many people don't even bother to click on the link (being too lazy and all!).

    Keep up the good work!

    Comment


    • #3
      Here it is:


      On LoC, biggest Op since Kargil: 15 Jaish men are shot, hunt still on


      Posted online: Monday, August 01, 2005 at 0251 hours IST

      BARAUB (GUREZ), JULY 31: The Shina-speaking Gurezis, ethnically linked to Gilgit in Pakistan’s Northern Areas, thought that the 2003 Indo-Pak ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) had broken down when artillery guns boomed and lit up the night sky last fortnight. But this was no cross-LoC firing: it signalled the last phase of the Indian Army’s operation against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) cadres infiltrating this sector.

      Operation Makalwain was no Kargil though Mushkoh Valley, from where Pakistanis first intruded in 1999, lies adjacent to Gurez. But it was perhaps one of the biggest operations since the mountain conflict: an entire Indian Army brigade (around 3,000 men) was involved in neutralising a large group of militants.


      Troop-ferrying helicopters and artillery guns were used to illuminate the jungles and treacherous terrain in Tilel valley, west of Baraub. Until today, the Army’s 109 Brigade had recovered 15 bodies of JeM militants with AK-47, AK-56 rifles, grenades and communication sets. The search is still on because the group was estimated to be 25-members strong.

      The fence in the Gurez sector lies 10-15 km from the LoC, along the Kishenganga river that is fed by a string of mountain streams, including Makalwain and Burzil. As some of these streams originate from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), they are natural ingress routes for militants to infiltrate across the LoC.

      In Gurez sector, Baraub-Chakwali-Kaobal Gali, Gujran, Satinar, Burzil Nullah and Nowshera Nar are known infiltration routes that go through high mountain passes between 12,000-18,000 feet. This was the area where the Indian Army had gunned down 18 militants in September 2003.

      The Indian Express, the first to reach the area of operations, learnt that on July 10, a Bakarwal (shepherd) informed the Baraub-based 20 Punjab about a group of 10-12 infiltrators who had crossed the LoC and were headed towards Makalwain Nullah.

      According to Brigadier U M Rajavelu, in-charge of the 109 Brigade, the Commanding Officer of 20 Punjab, Rajan Jamwal, gave the task of tracking down the militants to his commando platoon led by Lt Manish Pandey while Major M K Kesar and Major Vishal Singh were told to station themselves across the Makalwain: at Domel forest atop a sheer mountain and Bari.

      The group of militants possibly entered the area from Mushkoh Valley via Kaobal Gali, taking advantage of the fact that the fencing between Chakwali and Kaobal Gali had been destroyed by heavy snow this year.

      At 2.30 pm on July 10, Lt Pandey spotted the militants and started trailing them—they were beyond weapon range. At 10 pm that night, Major Kesar tried to cross the turbulent Makalwain Nullah but his scouts were swept away by the strong current and had to be rescued with the help of ropes.

      Next day at 4.30 am, Major Kesar spotted the militants at Domel forests. At 1.30 pm, Lt Pandey fired at the group and saw a number of them drop dead. Later at 6 pm, helicopters ferried troops to the area: 11 Sikh, Dogra Scouts and 3 Rajput joined the battle. Brigadier Rajavelu and Colonel Jamwal also moved in.

      Between midnight and 7 am on July 12, the troops killed three militants but could recover only two bodies. At that time, a militant radio intercept from across the LoC spoke of 12 of their colleagues attaining ‘‘shahadad (martyrdom).’’ By this time, Major Kesar had managed to cross the Makalwain through a makeshift bridge (now called Kesar Bridge) and all three platoons closed in at Point 3395 where the militants were holed up.

      On July 13 afternoon, Pandey’s platoon came under fire from a holed-up militant who refused to surrender. It took more than 24 hours and an automatic grenade launcher from Major Vishal to silence the militant.

      According to Brigadier Rajvelu, the militants tried to go back towards the LoC on July 13-14. The Army used artillery with illumination rounds and more troops moved into the theatre to push them back.

      On July 14 and 15, the Army recovered nine bodies from Makalwain but the radio intercept from across spoke of ‘‘solah halaq ho gaye hain (16 have been killed). From July 16 to 21, the troops found six more bodies, taking the toll to 15. A search is still on between Angai Pahad (near Pt 3395) and Kinari Glacier.

      While Operation Makalwain is over, the 109 Brigade’s work has not ended: they have to immediately repair the fence to ensure that more infiltrators don’t slip in.

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