- Highly ranked terrorist Quari was involved in Dhangri/Kandi attacks: Army
- White Knight Corps salutes soldier’s supreme sacrifice
Shyam Sood
Rajouri, November 23: The Army in a 24 hour long joint anti-terror operation in Kalakot subdivision of Rajouri district, on Thursday, killed two dreaded foreign terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, including most wanted Quari (code name), a resident of Pakistan.
Two captains, Lance Naik, Havildar, and a Paratrooper were among five soldiers who were immortalised fighting terrorists in a forest near Bajimaal village.
The martyrs have been identified as Captain MV Pranjal (next of Kin- wife Aditi G Muddebihalkar) resident of Manglore in Karnatka; Capt Shubham Gupta (NOK- father B K Gupta) resident of Agra; Havildar Abdul Majid (NOK- wife Sagera Bi) resident of Ajote Poonch in J&K; L/Nk Sanjay Bisht (NOK- mother Manju Devi) resident of Nainital in Uttrakhand; and Paratrooper Sachin Laur (NOK-mother Bhagvati Devi) resident of Nagaliya Giurola in Aligarh (UP).
The Army claimed that Quari was a highly ranked terrorist leader and had been trained on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Front and was expert in IEDs, operating and hiding from caves and a trained sniper.
He was sent to revive terrorism in border districts of Rajouri & Poonch and was active in Rajouri-Poonch districts along with his group for the last one year.
“He (Quari) was believed to be the mastermind of Dhangri & Kandi attacks” , said PRO Defence Jammu.
On January 1, five innocent people were killed in terror attack in Dhangri village near Rajouri district HQs & next day two children were killed in an IED blast planted by the terrorists at the house of Saroj Bala, who lost her two sons namely Deepak & Prince in the attack, before leaving the village.
On May 5, five soldiers, including four Para Commandos, attained martyrdom in a terror attack in a forest near Kandi village of Koteranka subdivision.
Both the terrorists were first spotted on Sunday evening at Baji Sahab Darbar in Bhravi where despite objection both had taken food in a ‘langer’ & later disappeared in a dense forest.
According to the report, the next day both the terrorists thrashed a Gujjar r/o Bajimaal, who was grazing sheep & goats in a forest, for refusing food demanded by them.
After this specific incident, Army and J&K police launched a search operation in the entire area, having dense forest on a treacherous mountain.
On Wednesday morning the terrorists were spotted in Solki forest, and first contact was established with terrorists by troops of 63 RR.
Additional forces, including Special Force Para) were rushed and an intense Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched.
The terrorists hiding in a safer place opened indiscriminate fire on the troops in which both the captains & Havildar and L/Nk attained martyrdom and a Major of Para received injuries and evacuated to Command hospital at Udhampur.
The operation continued for the whole day and the cordon remained intact and was resumed on Thursday morning.
On Thursday morning, heavy firefight resumed, and both the terrorists were eliminated by the Army. A soldier also sacrificed his life for the country today.
In a Tweet on Wednesday White Knight Corps said: “Contact established on 22 November & intense firefight ensued. Terrorists have been injured & surrounded. Amid acts of valour & sacrifice by own bravehearts in trying to prevent collateral damage to women/children in the highest traditions of#Indian Army. #Whiteknightcorps salutes the supreme sacrifice”.
