Indian-administered Kashmir: Soldiers killed by suspected militants

[MenInG]

The Indian army says five of its personnel have been shot dead by suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir.

They were killed after fighting erupted during a search operation on Monday close to the Line of Control, which separates Indian- and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

It is said to be the deadliest attack on army forces since February.

Tensions have escalated amid a wave of civilian killings by suspected rebels.

Soldiers surrounded a village in the district of Poonch after reports that armed insurgents were hiding there, officials in Indian-administered Kashmir said.

An officer and four other soldiers were killed during the search operation, which is ongoing, army spokesman Lt Colonel Devender Anand said.

Last week, seven civilians were shot dead in six days, in killings blamed on militants.

Politicians across the region condemned the attacks.

Indian security forces shot dead a suspected militant from The Resistance Front (TRF) which Indian authorities believe is backed by Pakistan and behind the recent civilian casualties.

More than 400 people have been taken in for questioning in the hope of putting a stop to the recent escalation.

Officials say that since India revoked nearly all of Article 370 in the constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of the autonomy it had been guaranteed, more local young people have been drawn towards what has been a long insurgency against Indian rule.

The Hindu nationalist BJP-led government argued its move in 2019 was necessary to restore stability and bring economic prosperity.

India and Pakistan, which are both nuclear powers, have fought two wars over Kashmir. Both nations claim the whole of the territory.

They also clashed in a series of aerial attacks over the region in February last year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58847655

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/10/12/india-troops-kill-five-rebels-kashmir-encounters?__twitter_impression=true

Indian government forces have killed five suspected rebels in two clashes in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say, a day after the rebels killed five army soldiers in a gunfight in the disputed region.

The first clash erupted following a raid by soldiers and counterinsurgency police in the Imamsahab area of southern Shopian district, police said on Tuesday.

Troops cordoned off the area late on Monday, and a gun battle broke out when the rebels refused to surrender, police said. Three rebels were killed in the ensuing fight early on Tuesday, police said.

Residents said troops blasted one civilian house with explosives during the fighting, a common tactic by the Indian troops in Indian-administered Kashmir.

In a separate clash on Tuesday, two suspected rebels were killed inside an apple orchard during a security operation in the village of Feeripora, also in Shopian, police said.

On Monday, five Indian soldiers were killed in the deadliest gun battle with rebels this year in a forested area of southern Surankote district. Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesperson, said troops continued with search operations in the area on Tuesday.

The uptick in violence comes amid a sweeping crackdown by the government forces in the Kashmir Valley following a string of targeted killings in the region’s main city of Srinagar last week.

Police detained more than 700 people for questioning after suspected rebels shot and killed a prominent Kashmiri Hindu chemist, two schoolteachers of the Hindu and Sikh faiths, and a Hindu street food vendor from India’s eastern state of Bihar.

Police in a statement said one of the slain rebels on Tuesday was involved in the killing of the street food vendor.

India and Pakistan claim the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir in its entirety, but each administers part of it.

Rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi’s rule since 1989. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

India alleges the Kashmir rebellion is sponsored by Pakistan, a charge denied by Pakistan.

Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.

 

[PakLFC]

India only has it's elf to blame. Indian soldiers are being killed here as I often mention. Blaming Pakistan for it helps no one at all. If you live by the sword by killing innocent people in the name of security then you die by the same rules. Too bad, hard luck.

 

[PakLFC]

So Indian military kills the Kashmiris who it calls it's own people. When they kill Indian soldiers it calls them terrorists and blames Pakistan for it. When more then one party lays claim to anything them it becomes disputed. Kashmir therefore is disputed territory.

 

[PakLFC]

Also tells us the quality of the Indian military that one million of them in the occupied territory can't stop these so called Pakistani terrorists from crossing over.

 

[MenInG]

As many as nine terrorists have been killed in six encounters in the last six days after security forces intensified counterterrorism operations in the aftermath of targeted killings of minority civilians in Kashmir. Apart from the major success in the form of top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Shamim Ahmed Sofi’ killing, eight other terrorists: Aqib Bashir Kumar; Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar; Yawar Gani Dar; Danish Hussain Dar; Yawar Hassan Naikoo; Mukhtar Ahmad Shah; Khubaib Ahmad Nengroo; and Ubaid Ahmad Dar have been neutralised so far.

The intensification of counter-terrorist operations comes after Union home minister Amit Shah on October 7 directed the security forces and intelligence agencies to neutralise the threat from Pakistan-based terrorist groups in Kashmir. Shah pitched for firm action as the Hindu and Sikh killings in Kashmir were designed to spread terror within minority communities who wanted to come back to the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A.

The security agencies have identified their affiliations either with Pakistan-based JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba, or local terror modules like Hizbul Mujahideen and The Resistance Front, both backed by Pakistani terror groups.

Danish Hussain Dar, who was a close friend of active militants Afaq Sikander Lone and Ubaid Ahmad Dar, disappeared on June 20, 2021, weeks before the targeted killings started in the Valley. He was affiliated with LeT. Dar had fired upon a civilian at Chatergam Shopian in which the person got critically injured.

Aqib Bashir Kumar, a local terrorist affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in Srinagar’s Natipora locality last week. Aqib Bashir Kumar left his home in November 2020 and didn’t return back, prompting his parents to lodge a missing report two days later. The Hizbul terrorist was involved in a grenade attack on a CRPF party at Chanpora in which personnel and one civilian were critically injured. He was also involved in motivating the Kashmiri youth to join ranks in the terror outfit.

Initially a stone pelter, Yawar Hassan Naikoo was arrested in 2015 and was released after 15 days in detention. He went missing in December 2020 after which his father lodged a report with Shopian police. Reports suggest that Naikoo was motivated by local terrorists and managed his induction in Hizbul Mujahideen. He was killed in Shopian on Tuesday.

Ubaid Ahmad Dar, a TRF recruit, was said to be a close friend of Aafaq Sikander Lone who took the path of militancy in December last year. He disappeared in February this year and joined the LeT offshoot. Accused of attacking a police party at Manzgam area of Kulgam in which two police personnel got critically injured, Dar was also neutralised on Tuesday in at Ferripora Shopian.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...rists-killed-in-six-days-101634142173627.html

 

[MenInG]

Panaji: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday gave a stern warning to Pakistan and other adversaries to respect India’s sovereignty and maintain the integrity along the International Border.

Addressing an event to lay the foundation stone for the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) at Dharbandora village in South Goa, Shah hailed former defence minister Late Manohar Parrikar for the surgical strikes India carried out in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Uri terror attack.

“Another important step was surgical strike under PM Modi and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. We sent out a message that one should not disrupt India’s borders. There was a time when talks happened, but now is the time to reciprocate,” Shah said.

The Home Minister also expressed confidence that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will win an “absolute majority” in the Goa Assembly elections due in February next year.

Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar gave the state its identity... The former Defence Minister will also be remembered for providing One Rank One Pension (OROP) to all three armies....: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Goa pic.twitter.com/z8KNfiMaD4

“BJP will form the next government in the state with absolute majority...There is still time for elections. But I am appealing to the people of Goa to make up their mind to elect the BJP government in the state under the leadership of Narendra Modi at the Centre. This double engine government will help to continue the development of the state,” Shah said.

The 2022 Goa Assembly elections will see several parties take on the ruling BJP, including Congress, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shiv Sena, among other regional forces, for the 40-member House.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/...r-for-surgical-strike-against-pakistan/823564

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1651980/fo-slams-indian-home-ministers-delusional-statement-threatening-pakistan-with-surgical-strikes

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday slammed Indian Home Minister Amit Shah's "irresponsible and provocative" statement in which he threatened Pakistan with surgical strikes.

"This delusional statement only goes to further demonstrate the BJP-RSS combine’s propensity to stoke regional tensions for both ideological reasons and political expediency, based on enmity towards Pakistan," FO spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said in a statement.

Earlier today, Indian media reported Shah as saying that India will carry out surgical strikes against Pakistan "if it transgresses", adding that the time for talks was over and it was now time to "reciprocate".

According to the Hindustan Times, the minister said that there used to be talks when India's border came under attack, but now Delhi gives a befitting reply to terrorist attacks.

Shah made the comments while referring to the alleged surgical strike India had carried out in 2016, a claim that was rubbished by Pakistan.

"The surgical strike under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former defence minister Manohar Parrikar was an important step. We sent out a message that no one can disturb India's borders. There was a time for talks, but now is the time to reciprocate," the report quoted Shah as saying.

According to India Today, Shah — who was addressing the foundation laying ceremony of a university in Goa's Dharbandora — also added: "The surgical strikes proved that we don't tolerate attacks. More will come if you transgress."

Responding to the claims made by the Indian minister, the FO spokesperson said that such statements serve as smokescreens to divert global attention from India's state terrorism, and systematic human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and against minorities in India.

"Pakistan has repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community to India’s sinister designs of staging 'false flag' operations to implicate Pakistan and Kashmiris.

"While Pakistan is a peace-loving country, we will spare no effort in resolutely thwarting any aggressive designs," the FO spokesperson added.

Pakistan’s swift response to India’s Balakot misadventure in 2019 — including the downing of Indian combat aircraft and the capture of an Indian Air Force pilot — fully demonstrated the will, capacity and preparedness of our armed forces to deter Indian aggression, he concluded.

In 2016, at least two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed as Indian troops fired across the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian officials had claimed that surgical strikes were conducted by the Indian army on "terror launch pads along the LoC". However, the Pakistan Army had rubbished the claims and called it a "fabrication of the truth".

Similarly, on Feb 26, 2019, India had tried to launch a similar operation against Pakistan but had failed and two of its planes had been shot down by the Pakistan Air Force.

Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was downed inside Pakistani territory, was also captured but was later released by Prime Minister Imran Khan as a peace gesture.

 

[ahsan17]

It seems fake surgical strikes is the primary option left for India now to respond. Most people in India believe these surgical strikes are real, while almost no one* outside India believes they are real.

* The only demographic believing in the surgical strikes outside India are NRIs.

 

[MenInG]

As was only to be expected, the recent macabre targeted killing of members of the minority communities has generated widespread panic in Kashmir. Much of Srinagar has also been overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu — a frightening reminder of the 1990s when select killings and an overwhelming fear had led to the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. But this is not the 1990s. And despite the deep angst within the Kashmiri Muslims over government policies, we may be beginning to see a new sliver of hope: The possibilities, finally, of a real reconciliation between the two communities that cohabited (despite the historical ups and downs in the relationship) the same space for centuries. Ironically, then, the terror of the past few weeks may have opened up a new window of opportunity.

I write today, not as an academic but a resident of Srinagar, who spent most of the last few weeks in the city seeking to understand the sentiment on the ground. What follows, therefore — at its most pedestrian — is street gossip and, at its most uplifting, vox populi.

For the most part, my day began — until the killings — by following a familiar routine — walking to the Shankaracharya temple on the hill from Gupkar Road. Gupkar is the meandering gateway to the vistas of the Dal Lake, which runs from the desolate offices of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) at Sonwar to the fading charms of erstwhile royal palaces on the banks of the lake. It is here that security agencies are nested in close comfort with the political and business elite, and where interrogation centres have morphed into “haunted” guesthouses.

The Shankaracharya hill gives you a breathtaking view of the densely packed city, with its shrines, temples and churches, but the hill is also a reminder of the city’s ancient roots and atavistic heritage; the non-dualist Shaivism of Kashmir, but also the earlier Mahayana Buddhism and the later Sufi Hallaji passion. Adi Shankara’s Advait captured in Nirvana Shatakam (“I am consciousness, I am bliss, and I am Shiva. I am Shiva”) seems to blend seamlessly with Mansoor Al Hallaj’s Ana Al-Haqq (“I am truth”) as you absorb the sounds and smells of the city. And as you reach out to the steady stream of visitors on that gentle trek, it is clear that Kashmir’s composite heritage is robust and alive on the hill. But not just there.

Once a single coffee shop was a luxury on Residency Road, today cafés and coffee shops jostle for space in virtually every neighbourhood. Srinagar may not be a smart city but it is home to a remarkably talkative and reading society (a women’s collective, a Kafka society, a Brecht playhouse, etc) where former residents return to pay homage and find inspiration — from the opinion editor of The New York Times to the former head of Twitter India. And in all that talk, there is space — space for Kashmiri Pandits to come back and for the two still separate civil societies to argue, to disagree and to build trust, perhaps even on the terms of engagement.

Was 1990 then an aberration? In an almost Rashomon-like cinematic imagination, the Kashmiri Pandit exodus of the 1990s invites multiple narratives that are embedded in Manichaeism. What is not disputed is that the departure led to a gulf between the two communities, which has still not been bridged; polarised narratives only reflect a sharp divide and the return of the Pandits remains, admittedly, an elusive project. Today, there are just a few thousand Kashmiri Pandits who did not leave during these troubled years, other than those who live in camps (in Sheikhpura, Varmul, Hal, Vesu and Mattan) under a special employment package scheme of the Prime Minister.

But there is the possibility of recovering the sentiment that helped the Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims live in relative harmony. It is possible for Kashmiri Pandits to return with respect in the foreseeable future but it is critical to do so organically in constant dialogue with Kashmir’s civil society. Through talking, talking and more talking. The killings may have then unleashed a positive force that the new militant outfits could never have imagined or believed possible.

Consider this. The killing of Makhan Lal Bindroo, the Pandit pharmacist, invited real shock from all sections of Kashmir’s civil society for a number of reasons. Bindroo had stayed in Kashmir through the troubled years, had a deep personal connection with his customers, and enjoyed the confidence and trust of the people enough to persuade his accomplished endocrinologist son to return to Srinagar to serve the people. Bindroo’s was also a success story: From a small chemist shop to a fancy pharmacy with a clinic, he was proof that a Kashmiri Pandit could be successful in Srinagar without compromising on his faith or lifestyle. When his daughter Shraddha Bindroo spoke to the media (after her father’s killing), she spoke with courage but without rancour; a remarkable testimony to her Kashmiri upbringing.

Consider also this. The most remarkable example of Kashmiri Muslims seeking to reassure and reach out to the minorities is the first citizen of the city, Srinagar’s Mayor, the remarkable Junaid Mattu — who I have often disagreed with in the past. This time, however, I was deeply impressed by his clarity and his unambiguity when I met him in person. He has since said: “We will have to stick our necks out and stand as shields to give our minority communities a sense of safety and belonging. This is not the time for conspiracy theories and nuanced condemnations. This is the time to call a spade a spade.”

The onus of beginning a fresh process of confidence-building rests on the leadership of the two communities. The best the government can do is neither interfere nor be seen as directing the process. Anecdotally, it is also clear that Kashmiri Pandit forums like the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), for one, are ready to take steps to begin a dialogue and take concrete steps to recover a common bond. This is an opportunity, if missed, that may never come back again

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/kashimir-violence-minority-communities-7572258/

 

[KingKhanWC]

The resistance has started again.

India instead of looking at reality, their disgusting occupation is the reason will blame Pakistan. Along with fooling their gullable public, claiming to have done some sort of strike.

I have no sympathy of occupation or the occupiers. Imo they are the terrorists.

 

[LaLoco]

It seems fake surgical strikes is the primary option left for India now to respond. Most people in India believe these surgical strikes are real, while almost no one* outside India believes they are real.

* The only demographic believing in the surgical strikes outside India are NRIs.

I don’t believe Indian outside of India believe in that narrative either, especially those who do not see Modi as an emperor of Hindutva. NRI follower of Hindutva do not believe in it either, it’s just they have to make their Emperor of Hindutva look good therefore they will regurgitate whatever official narrative is being put out by BJP.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the continuing extrajudicial killings in staged encounters and fake cordon-and-search operations, as well as arbitrary detentions and crimes against humanity by Indian occupation forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that the deteriorating security and human rights situation in the occupied territory is a "matter of grave concern for the international community".

"We also strongly condemn India's ongoing propaganda to malign the indigenous and just struggle of the people of IIOJK for their right to self-determination, by raising the bogey of ‘terrorism’," he added.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan has also been alerting the world community about India’s track record of orchestrating false-flag operations to undermine the Kashmir freedom movement.

Equally condemnable, he said, is the RSS-BJP combine's ploy to demonise Kashmiri Muslims, by stirring up communal tensions.

"Pakistan calls on India to halt its state-sponsored terrorism, refrain from propaganda against Kashmiris, lift its suffocating military siege and let the people of IIOJK exercise their right to self-determination as promised in various UN Security Council resolutions," he added.

The Muslim-majority region has been on the edge since the killing of three Hindus and a Sikh last week which triggered a crackdown by Indian authorities.

At least 28 people, including nine civilians, have been gunned down in the past two weeks.

Saturday saw two freedom fighters from The Resistance Front (TRF) rebel group killed outside the main city of Srinagar, police inspector general Vijay Kumar said.

One of them was top commander Umer Mushtaq Khanday, Kumar added.

Tensions have mounted since the Indian government annulled IIOJK’s semi-autonomy in August 2019 and put it under direct New Delhi rule.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2325376/pakistan-assails-india-for-extrajudicial-killings-in-iiojk

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, apprised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the worsening human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the concomitant threat to regional peace and security.

Ambassador Akram's resolve came a day before, on Monday (October 18), who called on the UN chief on instructions from Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. UNSG Guterres was also urged to take steps to promote peace in South Asia.

The Pakistani envoy expressed alarm at the continuing extrajudicial killings in staged encounters and fake cordon-and-search operations, as well as arbitrary detentions and crimes against humanity by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir.

"The recent arrests of over 1,400 Kashmiris on false charges in one of the biggest ever crackdowns in the disputed territory was the latest example of India’s state-terrorism," he highlighted.

He further underlined that such mass-scale repression was reflective of New Delhi’s frustration at its failure to realise its ominous “final solution” for the besieged valley.

Ambassador Akram also drew the attention of the secretary-general towards the Indian home minister’s “callous” statement threatening to conduct so-called “surgical strikes” against Pakistan.

He rejected Indian allegations of “cross border” infiltration and expressed concerns that India may once again conduct a “false flag” operation to justify aggression against Pakistan.

"Pakistan desired peace with India but it would spare no effort to resolutely thwart any aggressive designs," the ambassador remarked.

The ambassador further urged the UNSG to make efforts to avoid the prospects of a deadly conflict between India and Pakistan, lower tensions, and promote peace in South Asia.

Secretary-General Guterres expressed concerns over the worsening situation in IIOJK and promised to make efforts towards de-escalation.

 

[PakLFC]

India can never stop these attacks. It is the price their occupational force will continue to pay.

 

[PakLFC]

The more the Indian military kills the Kashmiris the greater the resistance. The more Kashmiris will rise against the Indian military and kill them too. There is nothing that India can do in IoK that they have not done before. Last thing India wants is an open war with Pak forget China who are already sitting in Ladakh. The Chinese have made it clear they are going nowhere other then Arunachal Pradesh.

 

[Swashbuckler]

We were told demonetization and Article 370 abrogation would stop these attacks.

Who will BJP and lapdog media blame now? No political space in Kashmir, civil society's backbone broken, no opposition or independent media, directly under Central rule.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Poonch encounter: Army's longest operation against terrorists since 2009

n 2009, Poonch was the theatre of a nine-day operation and encounter with terrorists — January 1-9. Four soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), lost their lives. Four terrorists were said to have been killed in the encounter. However, their bodies were not recovered from the encounter site. Search and combing operations were stopped after nine days.

Nearly 13 years since then, another operation entered its tenth day on Wednesday in the same Poonch district. The operation began on October 11, when the encounter began at Dera Ki Gali area of Surankot tehsil in the Poonch district.

The operation was launched on the basis of intelligence inputs about a big troupe of terrorists present in the area. A search operation led to an encounter with the terrorists.

READ: New terror outfit claims responsibility for Poonch attack in which 9 soldiers died

In the first encounter, five soldiers, including one JCO, lost their lives on October 11.

On October 14, another round of intense exchange of fire took place. Two soldiers lost their lives. Later, the bodies of a JCO and another jawan were found at the encounter site.

Nine soldiers, including two JCOs, have lost their lives since the operation began. The Indian Army has deployed a specially trained unit of para-commandos for the combing operation.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/poonch-encounter-army-longest-operation-terrorists-since-2009-1866974-2021-10-20

wth .....