Author: Excelsior Special Correspondent
Publication: Daily Excelsior
Date: June 27, 2004
URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/04june27/news.htm#1
Ultras target people for raising
VDC, helping Army
Frustrated by strengthening of the
Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and hoisting of tricolor at Hill Kaka
for first time in 15 years of militancy, a big group of militants struck
at village Teli Katha in upper reaches of Marha in Surankote tehsil of
Poonch district early today killing 11 civilians including three children
and two teen- agers and injuring 10 others.
The VDC of Marha, known as the most
powerful VDC in Poonch district, retaliated to the militant attack very
effectively and saved several other lives as they forced the militants
to flee within 10 to 15 minutes of the firing.
Majority of the victims were Gujjars,
who had openly sided with the Army for last couple of years and provided
a lot of help during 'Operation Sarp Vinash' in Hill Kaka in which 63 militants
were killed, official sources said.
They said a big group of 8 to 10
militants, reportedly a combination of Lashkar- e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul
Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment (HMPPR), struck at village Teli Katha, where
about 10 to 12 Gujjar families comprising 65 to 70 people had been camping
for the last few days along with their cattle leaving their village Marha,
at 3 am today. The families used to visit the upper reaches frequently
during summer for grazing their cattle.
Instead of attacking the VDC, the
militants, whose previous three attacks on the Gujjar families of Marha
had been thwarted by the VDC, this time targeted the innocent civilians
sleeping in a dhok by resorting to indiscriminate firing from the automatic
weapons, the sources said.
Five VDC members, who had gone to
upper reaches along with the villagers and were putting up in a separate
dhok, replied the firing with their weapons. The VDC members including
Lal Hussain, Mohd Aslam, Mohd Qasim, Aijaz Ahmed and Lal Din fired more
than 360 rounds on the militants forcing them to leave the village within
10 to 15 minutes of the attack.
"Had the VDC not retaliated effectively,
the militants would have eliminated all 65 to 70 people", the sources said,
adding 11 people including a VDC member, three children and two teen-agers
were killed in the attack.
There were reportedly no casualties
on the militants side as they had taken positions at the protected places
before launching the attack.
Only one VDC member Mohd Farooq
was killed in the attack, the sources said, denying the reports telecast
by the electronic news channels that seven VDC members were killed in the
attack.
Mohd Farooq was unarmed and was
sleeping with the villagers as he had recently joined the VDC and was yet
to get training. All other VDC members fought bravely with the militants
and were safe. Sources also denied that the death toll in the attack was
12.
Also the militants were wearing
civil and Khan dresses and not Army uniforms as reported, they said.
SSP Poonch Mukesh Singh, DC Poonch
Altaf Hussain and other senior police officers had reached the spot this
morning after trekking for three hours on foot. The SSP Poonch appreciated
courage displayed by the VDC, which saved several other innocent lives.
He asked the VDC members not to get demoralised by the killings. "We will
trace the killers and kill them", he declared.
Deceased have been identified as
Noor Mohd, 75, son of Manga, Mohd Farooq, 25, son of Noor Mohd, Lal Hussain,
75, son of Ghulam Mohd, Faiz Hussain, 50, son of Shahnaz Hussain, Gulzar
Hussain, 25, son of Ali Mohd, Mir Jaan, 25, son of Mohd Azam, Parveen Akhter,
14, daughter of Lal Hussain, Niaz Ahmed, 8, son of Mohd Farooq, Imtiyaz
Ahmed, 4, son of Mohd Farooq, Nazakat Hussain, 14, son of Mohd Aslam and
an unnamed three year old child of Gulzar Hussain.
Injured included Ghulab Din, 80,
son of Lal, Ali Mohd, 80, son of Faiz Mohd, Abdul Gani, 30, son of Ghulam
Din, Ashwara Bi, 60, wife of Ali Mohd, Shamshad Akhter, 25, wife of Mohd
Ashraf, Sabza Begum, 30, Mohd Aslam, Rashida Bi, 20, wife of Gulzar Hussain,
Shabakat Hussain, 10, son of Faizal, Khalida, 3, daughter of Ashraf and
Shahnaz Akhter, 8, son of Mohd Aslam.
Seven injured were airlifted here
and admitted in the Medical College hospital. Condition of the injured
is stable, Dr Vinod Gupta, Medical Superintendent GMC said. Dr Gupta said
best possible medicare is being given to the injured.
On spot investigations by the police
officers revealed that the militants had used AK-56 rifles and Rocket Projectile
Guns (RPGs) in the attack. Number of the militants could be between 18
to 20. While some of the militants executed the attack, others gave them
the cover.
Most of the killers were the foreign
mercenaries, who were frustrated by the local people's help to the Army,
which had led to several successful operations not only in Hill Kaka but
in other areas of Surankote.
The attack, according to the sources,
appeared to have been executed jointly by the militants of LeT and HMPPR
outfits, who were the worst sufferers at the hands of Army in the area.
It may be recalled that the people
of Marha had decided to join the VDCs and take up arms against the militants
about a couple of years back after a number of civilians were killed by
the ultras. The locals including the VDCs had openly joined Army's 'Operation
Sarp Vinash' in Hill Kaka in which 63 militants were killed.
Hill Kaka area was cleared of the
militants after the Operation. On January 26 this year, the local people
had hoisted the tricolor at Hill Kaka for the first time in 15 years of
militancy. The locals had also lent a helping hand to the Army and administration
in laying kucha road to Hill Kaka.
All these acts of the people were
not being liked by the militants, the sources said and added that they
had made three unsuccessful attempts on the lives of VDCs and civilians
during past few months but all their attacks had been thwarted by the VDCs.
Even a couple of women in the area had also been trained in the handling
of weapons and they had participated in previous attack by the militants
about one and a half month back.
"Main aim of the militants was to
demoralise the VDCs and local people so that they stop supporting the Army.
However, the local people were determined to fight against the militants
to ensure that they don't manage to establish their base again in Hill
Kaka", the sources said.
