The Indian Army’s para commandos backed by ground troops killed 13 militants in an eight-day close-quarter battle on the treacherous mountainous channel along the Harmukh range.
SRINAGAR: The Indian Army’s para commandos backed by ground troops killed 13 militants in an eight-day close-quarter battle on the treacherous mountainous channel along the Harmukh range, in the lower Kashmir valley, for inter-sector movement. The battle was fought on the ridges and steep cliffs at an altitude of 14,000 ft — a landscape which the militants used to their advantage.
Major general VVS Goudar, general officer commanding of Kilo Force, said the Army received credible intelligence inputs on October 24 about the movement of a group of militants along the Harmukh range.
“Immediately, the 14 RR, 5 RR and 24 RR troops were mobilised from the eastern and western ends to intercept the militants. There is a narrow pathway used by the Bakerwals (shepherds) known as the darwaza which only a few know of. The ultras were trying to cross through it,” he said.
Goudar said they were sure the militants would not cross the passage during the night and hence, they decided to close-in on them on October 25 —the day they made their first contact with the militants.
“Special Forces commandos led by captain Bala Karthik of 10-Para were air-dropped later. Four columns encircled the area from the eastern and western sides to restrict the ultras’ movement. The ground troops however, took the entire night to climb to the ridge line and another four hours to reach the actual spot. In the first brush, we killed three militants but one of our soldiers lost his life,” said Goudar.
“They hid in a zigzag cave which aptly covered them. So, the fight for us was boulder-to-boulder and rock-to-rock. It was a well-calculated operation and our troops showed resilience and fought the militant,” he said.
Goudar said they used only small arms and grenades in the encounter.
“The militants were on an inter-sector movement from Bandipora and were possibly heading to Kangan or south Kashmir. It was an old group already operating in Bandipora,” he said.
So far, the Army has retrieved only 11 of the 13 bodies. “We are conducting a clearing operation in the area to retrieve the two bodies still lying under the debris.”
The Army has recovered 11 AK-47 and 57 variant assault riffles, 27 magazines, 387 rounds, two satellite phones, dry fruits, personal diaries and religious literature.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net
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