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| Militants strike in Kishtwar's Marwah, two SPOs injured | | Militant commanders from South Kashmir move to Marwah forests | |  Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 31: Militants on Friday attacked a police party in Apan area of remote Marwah Sub Division in Kishtwar district, leaving two Special Police Officers (SPOs) injured.
The militants, according to reports, fled from the spot following which army launched search and combing operation in the area which was once known as the hotbed of militancy. The attack took place in Marwah area after nearly 10 years.
The injured SPOs, identified as Mohammad Iqbal and Ashiq Hussain, were immediately shifted to 11 RR's first aid center at Nawapachi, Marwah and after nearly 8 hours delay, they were airlifted to Kishtwar helipad where the doctors from 26 RR gives necessary medical aid to them before they were shifted to Udhampur-based military hospital for further treatment.
Apan village, situated at a hill top above Yourdu village was once a hotbed of militancy and housed training centres for them before the army and police flushed them out by using helicopters gunships in 1990s followed by various ground operations during two decades as the area.
The militants chose Apan village for safe shelter since it is located at the height from where every military and police movement is visible to them.
Reports coming from Marwah stated that there was a complaint with the police related to some dispute between the two nomadic families filed by one particular party with police station Marwah, and accordingly, concerned SHO deputed four police personals including the injured cops for inquiry into the complaint.
When the police party reached Apan, the militants attacked them. The militants however escaped from the spot after the cops retaliated. The cops immediately raise an alarm and shifted the injured SPOs to nearest army unit at Nawapchi which is around 2 hour foot journey from the spot where the militants attacked the police party.
Of the two injured SPOs, Mohammad Iqbal received bullet in abdomen; his condition is stable, while the other injured, Ashiq Hussain, received bullet in his neck.
Sources said that dozens of militants including some foreigners who infiltrated into the area via south Kashmir following army's "Operation All Out" are active in the area and have established base in densely covered forests in Apan and Renie and often shift in between Marwah, Dachhan and South Kashmir.
Sources said that many areas in upper reaches of Marwah are still under the cover of snow and with the melting of snow, the Marwah and Dachhan areas will witness more militancy-related incidents.
Sources lamented the non-serious approach of police towards handling the regrouping of militancy in the area and added that the case involving the revival of militancy by SPO Yasir Badhur who had planned to eliminate the former MoS Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo was hushed up after the surfacing of some political faces affiliated to the then PDP-BJP government.
Sources said that the lackadaisical approach of the police could be gauged from the fact that a pistol was missing from stock of police station Marwah, but even after the lapse of several years no inquiry has been initiated nor anyone knows who stole the pistol. |
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