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| BLOODY SUNDAY CLAIMS 15 LIVES | | Samba’s Kaili Mandi turns into battlefield, 2 ultras among 7 killed | | EARLY TIMES TEAM
Samba | May 11
• Group of militants after crossing IB were hiding in village for two days
• BSF had denied infiltration but it proved fatal, even search was not launched
In a grim reminder of the pre-2002 era of violence and trouble along the border area, a group of militants struck with impunity in a village of warriors and fighters of this district triggering off a day of bloodshed and mayhem. At end of the day, the death toll mounted to seven including a senior political leader and his wife, a photojournalist, a soldier and militant.
In the ensuing gun battle which continued for nearly seven hours an Army Major and a Superintendent of Police sustained injuries while fighting with militants. Even though many previous lives were lost but the joint operation earned accolades for safe rescue of the civilians taken hostage by the militants.
A group of heavily armed militants, who believed to have infiltrated late Thursday night through the International Border in Samba sector, barged into a house in Kaili Mandi area in the wee hours of this morning and killed a political couple –Internationalist Democratic Party leader Hoshiar Singh and his wife. This incident happened at around 5:30 AM when most of the people in the village were still asleep.
This encounter which reminds frequent such incidents of pre-2002 era, reflected a sheer lapse at the end of security forces and also underlines loopholes in the coordinating system. The district administration of Samba and the Border Security Force equally share the lapse.
It was on late Thursday night that there was heavy exchange of fire on the International Border and a group of militants were believed to have infiltrated taking cover of the fire. Even though the local people apprehended infiltration the barbed fence was visibly cut off, the BSF refused to admit the infiltration. On Friday, a BSF officer told a press conference that, “infiltration attempt was successfully thwarted”.
The question arises, if the infiltration attempt was thwarted, from where the militants did come. This incident has happened full two days after the infiltration attempt and during the intervening period the district administration and the district Police apparently failed to take cognizance of the lurking danger even as militants were hiding somewhere in the villages.
Narrating the incident, Lok Sevak, a sobbed son of deceased political veteran Hoshiar Singh told EARLY TIMES, that it was door knock in the wee hours which Hoshiar Singh was attending to that militants standing outside pumped bullets in his body. When his mother went rushing to see as what had happened, she too was shot at. Later two other members of family, Hoshiar Singh’s daughter and his daughter’s mother-in-law too were shot at but they survived the attack.
Hoshiar Singh’s son Lok Sevak, a research scholar in Political Science, hid himself inconspicuous corner of the house and escaped attention of militants. Hoshiar Singh’s wife Shashi Bala was a senior trade unionist leader. The group of three militants dragged body of Hoshiar Singh out of the house left at gate before fleeing to another house.
The local villager raised alarm at this and police and army rushed to the spot. By that time militants had barged into another house taking the family member hostage. This led to a sustained gun battle between the security forces and the militants which continued for more than seven hours.
A team of journalists, including reporters and photographers from Jammu had rushed to the spot early in the morning after they learnt about the incident. Senior photojournalist Ashok Sodhi representing the English newspaper Daily Excelsior got a bullet shot in his dead and later succumbed to his injuries.
The pitched gun battle between both sides, however, continued and the entire area was immediately cordoned off and a massive search operation was launched.
Militants fired volley of bullets towards the civilian injuring two of them. Five persons were also taken hostage, who were later rescued by the police.
In the ensuing encounter an army Major and three civilians was also injured, while two soldiers lost their lives. One of the militant tried to escape but was shot dead by the troops. Later SP Operation Mubassir Latifee tried to launch a final assault but came under the range of a grenade fired by the militants.
"Mubassir suffered splinter injuries over his face and hand but was out of danger", a senior police officer said. However, late in the evening troops managed to gunned down both the militants, hiding in the house. However, it was believed that one of the militant, who was earlier accompanying the militants, managed to escape from the area but well before the house was cordoned off. |
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