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| Woman killed, 22 hurt as ultras ambush 2 army Gypsies, video coach at Thanamandi | | Colonel escapes bid on life | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU/RAJOURI, Aug 11: In an ambush by five odd militants at Manyal Gali in Thanamandi, Rajouri, while a woman today lost her life and 22 others, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of police and two army personnel, sustained serious injuries, a Colonel, understood to be the main target of the attackers, survived providentially due to the courage and presence of mind shown by his driver.
While the army Gypsy carrying Col PG Sangpal -- CO of 48 RR -- was the main target of militants, the Video Coach was also caught in firing, police sources said. The militants were wearing army uniforms, the sources added. The CO had two escort Gypsies. While one was ahead of his vehicle, the other was behind it. The militants did not fire at the first escort vehicle. The moment they saw Col Sangpal's Gypsy approaching their ambush point, they swiftly came on the road and fired at it from the driver's side.
Though bullets hit driver, Naik Dalip Singh, he did not stop and sped away, the sources added. Sepoy Kirpal Singh, who was in the CO's vehicle, also sustained bullet injuries.
Sources said the militants also targetted the second escort vehicle which followed the CO's Gypsy. The guards in it, however, survived unhurt, the sources added.
In the meantime, a Video Coach, which was on its way from Poonch to Jammu, also happened to reach there. Sources said it too came under fire from militants, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to 20 other passengers, including an ASI.
Col Sangpal's driver Dalip took the vehicle over 200 mt away from the ambush point and thus saved the life of the officer. Had he given up courage and stopped the vehicle after the bullets pierced his body, the CO could have been an easy target of the militants, the sources added.
Sources said when the jawans in the second escort Gypsy returned fire, another group of militants fired at them from a nearby hillock, giving cover to their accomplices who had ambushed army vehicles and the video coach. The militants later fled the spot and melted into the nearby forests. In the militants' firing, 21 passengers in the video coach were injured. A woman, however, succumbed to her wounds later. She was identified as Kiran Devi, wife of Satpal Singh of Poonch. The two injured jawans were airlifted to command hospital in Udhampur following deterioration in their condition.
The others were admitted to the sub-district hospital, Thanamandi. They were identified as Gul Begum, wife of Talib Hussain of Babbu Narh, Thanamandi, Noor Mohammad (a labourer of Uttar Pradesh), son of Nobat Ali, Irfan Ahmed, son of Ghulam Mohiudin of Surankote, Swarn Kanta, wife of Himesh Kumar of Udhampur, ASI Makhan Lal of Tranawali Gali, Ghulam Nabi, son of Khuda Baksh of Manyal Gali, Irshad Ahmed, son of Mohammad Ayub of Jhallas, Tazeem Akhter, daughter of Mohammad Shafi of Manyal, Mohammad Yousaf, son of Bandi of Surankote, Ghulam Nabi, son of Ali Akbar of Tranawali Gali, Tahir Hussain, son of Zahoor Hussain of Manyal, Chandia, son of Mali of Bambrote, Tahir Hussain, son of Mohammad Hussain of Poonch, Bilal Khan, son of Shah Mohammad of Poonch, Mohammad Sadeeq, son of Ali Bakash, Rafiq Khan, son of Faqir Khan of Jhallas, Sanjay Kumar, son of Ram Kumar of Poonch, Ram Kumar, Som Kant and Mohmmad Akbar, son of Ali Akbar.
Most of them were later removed to the district hospital, Rajouri. Gul Begum, Noor Mohammad, Irfan and Swaran Kanta were referred to the GMC Hospital, Jammu, as their condition showed no signs of improvement.
Hearing the gunshots, the Thanamandi police station SHO, Inspector Abdul Rehman also reached the spot.
A massive operation was later launched by police and army jawans in search for the escaped militants, but they could not find any clue to their whereabouts.
Some locals were also questioned by the jawans, but there was no report of any suspect having been rounded up by the jawans, the sources added.
SSP, Rajouri, RK Jalla said a massive operation was on to hunt down the militants.
The video coach driver Rajesh Kumar said his vehicle was attacked by militants who were in combat dress. |
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