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One truck load arms,
ammunition recovered Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, June 17: Various Army units, with a most outstanding contribution of JAK LI unit, today caused yet another heavy blow to the militants by killing 10 of them, believed to be hardcores, in three separate encounters in Poonch sector since this morning. One Major was also killed in one of these encounters, which were still continuing in certain areas near the Line of Control. Huge quantity of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter spots . Giving details of the incidents, informed sources told EXCELSIOR that the troops of JAK LI on a specific information that a group of militants were trying to infiltrate,this morning cordoned off the entire area in Bindi Gali of Shahpur to nab the militants. However, as the troops noticed the movement of the militants, they were asked to surrender. Instead, the militants , armed with heavy arms and ammunition fired upon the troops and engaged them in the encounter, the sources said. They said that Major P R Tathawade, who was leading the operation, in utter disregard to his personal safety, engaged two militants in close quarter battle and killed them. The third militant who was hiding, emptied a complete AK 47 magazine on the abdomen and thigh of the officer. Despite grievous injuries and bleeding profusely, the Major engaged the militants in hand to hand combat and managed to eliminate them. The officer, later succumbed to his injuries, the sources said, adding that in the meantime, troops had eliminated three other militants in the area. While confirming the death of Major Tathawade, a Defence spokesman said that he was second in command of the unit and attained martydom while maintaining the highest tradition of Indian Army. In the second incident, alert troops of Rajput Battalion foiled a major infiltration bid in Kirni area of Poonch Brigade. The troops who regularly lay ambushes at a number of places, noticed some suspicious movement near the Line of Control at Cheche Bindi and Doda LC in the area. They were allowed to sneak inside the territory and heavy volumes of fire was brought down upon them. Both of them lost their lives. Subsequent searches were made and recoveries included two RPG rounds, one hand grenade and large quantity of assorted ammunition, the spokesman said. He said that in yet another incident of a foiled infiltration, a group of militants were trying to cross the Line of Control near Cobra sector . The militants were fired upon by the alert security force personnel, resulting into the death of two of the militants. Two more militants were reportedly seriously injured in the firing. However, their fate could not be known, since the area is very close to Line of Control. The sources said that in all the encounters, the slain militants mostly belonged to pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen. Large quantity of arms and ammunition , which was nearly one truck load, was recovered from the encounter site, the sources said, adding that the operation was still continuing. The militants in the Poonch sector have been facing heavy causalities at the hands of the security force personnel for the last 36 hours. Only yesterday, Ace of Spades Division, part of 26 Infantry division had killed six top ultras in Rajouri and Poonch sectors. Meanwhile,Defence spokesman, while paying tributes to the slain Major, said that Maj Tathawade was an outstanding officer, alumni of Sainik School Satara and was commissioned in 1984. He was an Aviator with six years of flying experience in Valley. In addition to numerous operations, he was also involved in the capture of Bana Post in Siachen. On October 23, 1999, he had led operation " Alfa Strike" in Salunyan village in Poonch district, in which six militants were eliminated. He had been supervising the present operation since last three consecutive nights. A resident of Pune, he is survived by his wife, a minor daughter and a two year son. |
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