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2007-08-01 India-Pakistan
Indian Army foils infiltration attempt at LoC
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Posted by Seafarious 2007-08-01 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ]  Top
 File under: Hizbul Mujaheddin 

#1 Seems like Colonel V was a take charge kind of officer...

In a personal blow to Army chief General J J Singh, a Colonel from his 9 Maratha Light Infantry battalion was killed while trying to thwart an infiltration bid near the Line of Control in Uri sector of north Kashmir on Tuesday.

The Colonel, Vasanth V, commanding the 9 Maratha Light Infantry battalion, and his radio operator, Lance-Naik Ganapat Shashikant, were killed and another jawan injured when they intercepted a group of infiltrating terrorists in the early hours of Tuesday.

Col Vasanth V, CO 9 Maratha LI, along with reinforcements, rushed to the site to personally supervise the operation and surrounded the militants in a difficult and thickly wooded forest area. Heavy firefight ensued in which Colonel Vasanth personally flushed out militants who got entrapped as all their escape routes had been blocked. The entrapped militants, believed to be three to four, were killed in the encounter that ensued. The operation was in progress till the last reports came in.

There have been few instances of senior officers in the rank of Colonel or above being killed in counter-insurgency operations in J&K ever since militancy began in the strife-torn state around two decades ago as usually younger officers lead such operations.

One such case was that of Colonel G S Sarna, commanding officer of a Rashtriya Rifles battalion, who was killed battling terrorists in the Pattan area of Baramulla district in December 2006.

Then, of course, there was a major security lapse when a Brigadier, V K Govil, was killed during a fidayeen attack by terrorists on the Tanda Army camp in July 2003. Three generals, including the then Northern Army commander Lt-Gen Hari Prasad sustained superficial injuries during the incident.

Colonel Vasanth, who leaves behind a wife and two minor daughters, was commissioned into the 9 Maratha Light Infantry battalion in June 1989. Gen Singh, in turn, was commissioned into the same battalion in August 1964.

Around 45 soldiers have been killed while battling terrorists so far this year.
Posted by John Frum 2007-08-01 08:28||   2007-08-01 08:28|| Front Page Top

#2 Bangalore: Two soldiers cremated

While the whole of Bangalore including the State government kept a track on Dr Haneef Mohammad, the bodies of two soldiers who died in a militant attack were flown into Bangalore and cremated almost unnoticed.

While Colonel Vasant was killed in the Uri sector, Timmaiah died in an ambush at the J&K valley last week. Both of them were barely 40 years of age.

The bodies of Colonel Vasant and K Timmaiah, a soldier were flown into Bangalore without a whisper. Ironically the body of Timmaiah reached Bangalore the same day Dr Haneef arrived (Sunday, July 29).

The case of Colonel Vasant was no different. His body reached Bangalore on Tuesday night and there was not a word of condolence from the men in power.

The question that the general public is asking is why the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy did not react to the deaths of the two soldiers?

"He had the time to greet Haneef and even offer him a job as though he was some kind of national hero," questions Colonel R P Singh.

The army personnel who waited to receive the body spoke with disgust about the manner in which the state machinery treated the soldiers. "These are people who died fighting for us and look at the manner in which they are treated," said a jawan.

Timmaiah was cremated in his hometown two days back while the last rites of Vasant were conducted in Bangalore on Wednesday morning. The minister for Health, R Ashok however realised that the government had gone wrong on this issue and rushed in the nick of time for the cremation of Colonel Vasanth.

The families of the two soldiers are shattered. "Timmaiaha's family members say no one from the government had even a word of condolence. They should be offering the next of kin the jobs they need it the most.

While Dr Haneef continues to hog the limelight, the families of the two Indian soldiers only continue to weep silently.

Sources in the government however say that it is unfair to criticise the chief minister. He cannot be at 100 places at the same time. The government will surely do something for the family.


Posted by John Frum 2007-08-01 10:47||   2007-08-01 10:47|| Front Page Top

#3 Godspeed and rest well.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2007-08-01 11:21||   2007-08-01 11:21|| Front Page Top

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