Author: Excelsior Correspondent
Publication: The Daily Excelsior
Date: September 5, 2001
Romeo Force and Poonch Police today
eliminated nine militants, including a group involved in the killing of
two priests in Dundak temple, in two separate operations at Surankot and
Mendhar tehsils of Poonch district taking last two days toll to 20. An
army porter was also killed during the day in Gursai area of Mendhar.
Defence sources said troops of Romeo
Force carried out a search operation in Sanji Wali Dhok near Suranthal
in Surankot tehsil this afternoon after developing specific inputs about
militants' movement.
Militants abandoned their hideout
on observing the approaching columns of army, rushed to a surrounding forest
area where they took positions and opened heavy firing using assault rifles.
Militants also lobbed grenades on troops.
The operation was also joined by
local police, which had developed the information of militants' movement
in Sanji Wali Dhok, where they were hiding after the killing of two pujaris-Mahant
Narotam Das and Baba Devi Das last Monday night.
After an hour long fierce gun-fighting,
troops eliminated three militants while two others fled deep into the forests.
They too were chased and shot dead by army late this afternoon. Army or
police didn't suffer any casualty in the operation.
Slain ultras have been identified
as Mohd Karim Khan, divisional commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM)
for Surankot, Ismail Khan, logistic commander, Wasim Abbas, Sarwar Khan
and Karamat Khan. All of them were Pakistanis and activists of HuM outfit.
Sources said all five militants
were Pakistanis and were affiliated with HuM outfit. All of them had executed
the killings of two pujaris at the behest of Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) and were being hunted by army since then.
In the second incident, troops of
Romeo Force launched a search operation for the militants in Sarhuti area
of Mendhar after an army porter Razak Hussain Shah son of Hakim Zanat Hussain
Shah was shot dead by the ultras in an ambush this morning.
Troops chased the militants, who
were fleeing after the killing of army porter and trapped them in a forest
area late this afternoon. After one and a half hour long exchange of firing,
army soldiers succeeded in killing all four militants.
Slain ultras have been identified
as Islan Niazi, area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen's Pir Panjal Regiment
(HMPPR) for Mendhar, Wahir Ali, Islam Mohd and Mir Ali, all residents of
Pakistan.
HMPPR has suffered a major setback
in Mendhar tehsil with the elimination of Islam Niazi, HMPPR's commander.
Recoveries made from the possession
of nine militants included eight AK-56 rifles, one pistol, 24 AK magazines,
305 AK rounds, two magazines and eight rounds of pistol, 39 hand grenades,
26 UBGL, one Kenwood radio set and some incriminating documents.
