Jammu witnesses protests against dastardly attack
STATE TIMES NEWS
Poonch: At least 12 people were detained on Friday for questioning in connection with the deadly ambush of five army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya here even as a MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of last afternoon’s attack.
Grieving families get ready to bid last farewell
Chandigarh/Rajouri/Bhubaneswar: Inconsolable families of soldiers who were martyred in a terrorist attack in Poonch struggled to come to terms with their loss on Friday as they prepared for their loved ones’ final journey home.
In the soldiers’ villages in Punjab and Odisha, hundreds gathered at their homes to show solidarity with their families and hailed the sacrifice of the troops.
The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
The Army paid tributes to its soldiers at a wreath-laying ceremony at a military camp in Rajouri before their mortal remains were sent to their native places. “The nation will always remain indebted to our bravehearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” an officer said. In Charik village in Punjab’s Moga district, Kulwant Singh’s brother said the government and the Army should give a befitting reply to the attack.
Holding Kulwant’s four-month-old son in his arms, he said his brother loved his family and had asked him to ensure timely vaccination of his son.
Kulwant, who had recently visited his family, also leaves behind a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and his wife.
Former village head Bakshish Singh said the entire village is pained by the loss of their brave son but at the same time, is proud of the supreme sacrifice he has made for the country.
In Bagha village in Bathinda, Sewak Singh’s elder sister’s tears won’t stop.
A villager, who was among the mourners, demanded that the Army give a befitting reply to the “cowardly act” of terrorists.
At Harkrishan Singh’s house in Talwandi Barth village in Batala, villagers hailed his supreme sacrifice for his motherland.
Harkrishan had recently visited his family. Hours before he was martyred, he spoke to his wife and two-year-old daughter on a video call, the villagers said.
Mandeep Singh belonged to Ludhiana district.
Similar scenes were witnessed at the house of Debashis Biswal’s house in Khandayat Sahi of Alaguma panchayat in Odisha’s Puri district.
“We are pained as well as proud that a son of our soil became a martyr. He was a great person and participated in all village events when he came home. He last visited the village four months ago,” said Biswal’s cousin Lalit Kishore Nayak.
Biswal got married in 2021 and is survived by his wife Sushree Sangeeta and a seven-month-old daughter.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik condoled the loss of lives in the terrorist attack.
“We received the very sad news of five soldiers being martyred in the incident (terrorist attack), out of which four were from Punjab,” Mann told reporters in Moga.
He also announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore each to the kin of the four soldiers from his state.
Taking to Twitter, Patnaik said, “It is too painful to learn about the martyrdom of brave Odia jawan Debashis Biswal at Poonch sector of J&K. His sacrifice for the nation will be remembered for all time to come. I convey my condolence to the family members of the great martyrs.”
Officials said that those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too.
A day after the attack, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with Additional Director General police Mukesh Singh was camping in neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation. The two officers also visited the site. A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team headed by a Deputy Inspector General rank officer was also present as the agency is likely to take over the case.
Initial reports suggest the presence of around five terrorists and the army truck is believed to have been attacked from three different sides. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that set the vehicle ablaze.
Vehicular traffic was suspended on the national highway between Bhimber Gali and Jarran Wali Gali for the second consecutive day.
The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough, they said.
The area is a hot bed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its ‘commander’ Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, who is a resident of the area, they added.
At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, the sources said.
Banned terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was a handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also.
The entire area of Tota-Gali-Bata Doriya, which has dense forests, has been cordoned off.
Officials said drones and sniffer dogs are being used to trace the terrorists, adding the army also conducted a recee of the area with a MI-chopper.
The five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
Top army and police officials on Friday laid wreaths and paid homage to the soldiers — Havildar Mandeep Singh of Chankoian village of Ludhiana (Punjab), Lance Naik Kulwant Singh of Charik village of Moga district (Punjab), Sepoy Harkrishan Singh of village Talwandi of Gurdaspur district (Punjab) and Sepoy Sewak Singh of Bagha village of Bathinda district (Punjab).
The mortal remains were sent to their native places, they said.
Officials said a high alert has been sounded in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch amid heightened vigil along the Line of Control.
Meanwhile, Jammu witnessed several protests by BJP, VHP, Rastriya Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dogra Front and Jammu Statehood organisation among others.
In a tweet, the Army said, “Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and all ranks of Indian Army salute the supreme sacrifice of five Indian Army bravehearts, Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh and Sep Sewak Singh who laid down their lives in the line of duty at Poonch Sector yesterday.”
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said he was anguished at the loss of lives of the brave soldiers.
“Their rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said in a tweet.
Led by its general secretary Yudhvir Sethi, the BJP took out a march and held a demonstration in Kachi Chawani area. The party workers raised anti-Pakistan slogans and held placards condemning the attack.
“We will avenge the killing of our soldiers. We will further strengthen the zero-tolerance policy,” Sethi told reporters.
He said the attack was aimed at derailing peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir but the administration will not be cowed down.
Another protest was held by Mission Statehood Jammu Kashmir, a local organisation, led by its president Sunil Dimple in New Plot area. The protestors burnt Pakistani flags and effigies amid sloganeering.
The Shiv Sena Dogra Front also staged an anti-Pakistan protest.
Its members, led by its president Ashok Gupta, demanded that Indian troops destroy the terror network in Pakistan.