Burhan Wani

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 8

Burhan Wani’s six-year-long journey from a teenage boy who left home in 2010 to the most wanted militant ‘commander’ in the Kashmir valley brought ‘glamour’ to the region’s militancy.Wani (21) was killed in a gunfight in the Kokernag area of south Kashmir this evening. The first image of his corpse showed his bloodied face.His killing has dented new-age militancy as it will be hard for it to find a new poster boy whose images and videos can become instantly viral across the region.Wani joined militants in October 2010 and operated in the forest of Tral sub-district. A resident of Sharifabad locality of Tral, Wani was initially tutored by his cousin and militant ‘commander’ Adil Mir.He was made ‘commander’ of militants following Mir’s killing in 2014. He instantly became the face and voice of a new generation of Kashmir’s militants which relied little on Pakistani backing and counted heavily on local support.Wani made a mark on insurgency by introducing its largely anonymous and underground ranks to the public through social media.Wani’s image first got leaked into the public domain in May 2013 when a militant, mistaken to be him, was killed in a forest near south Kashmir’s Tral sub-district.The accidental leak of his images made Wani the poster boy of insurgency. For the past three years, he made its optimum use. His images and videos gave militants a new face and a new voice and generated sympathy and support for them.Last year, Wani made a video statement in which he imitated the style and monologue of global ‘jihadi’ groups and called for establishment of a caliphate.He featured in pictures with other militants, images which became viral in the age of social media and gave a new lease of life to militancy.Wani is believed to have led very few militant attacks himself, but his social media presence made him the most known face in Kashmir.From October 2010 to July 2016, Wani survived nearly six years as a militant, changing the dynamics of militants that looked hard for security agencies to reverse.

Restrictions imposed in Srinagar areas

• Srinagar: The administration has decided to impose restrictions in old Srinagar and volatile Maisuma localities on Saturday to maintain law and order situation in wake of killing of militant commander Burhan Wani. Deputy Commissioner Farooq Lone said restrictions would be imposed in areas falling under jurisdictions of six police stations, including Rainawari, Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Khaniyar, Safakadal and Maisuma. — TNS

Omar says ‘disaffected’ have got ‘new icon’ in Wani

Omar Abdullah. PTI photo

Srinagar, July 9

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that Kashmir’s “disaffected” found a “new icon” in Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and voiced fears that his death could lead to more youngsters being radicalised.

“Mark my words — Burhan’s ability to recruit into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media,” Abdullah wrote on microblogging site Twitter.

“After many years, I hear slogans for ‘Azadi’ resonate from the mosque in my uptown Srinagar locality. Kashmir’s disaffected got a new icon yesterday,” the National Conference leader said.

People assembled in Tral — Wani’s hometown — in Pulwama district for Wani’s funeral.

The former chief minister said on Friday that Wani was not the first, nor will he be the last, to take up arms, so long as the Kashmir problem remained unresolved.

“For all Burhan’s social media activity I don’t recall any militancy incident attributed to him while I was in office. Not sure after that,” said.

Wani, considered to be Hizbul Mujahideen’s most prominent face, was among the three militants security forces shot dead on Friday in Anantnag’s Kokernag. — PTI

Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizb working in tandem in south Kashmir

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, July 8

The recent uptick in militant attacks, particularly in the south Kashmir region, might be due to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba cadre working in close coordination, believe security agencies.There have been some audacious attacks in June along the Anantnag-Srinagar stretch of the national highway. Thirteen security force personnel, including eight CRPF men, three BSF personnel and two members of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, have been killed in the three attacks carried out in Pampore, Bijbehara and Anantnag town. As many as 22 personnel of the CRPF were also injured.The Pampore attack , which was most gruesome of the three and probably one of the biggest-ever in the Kashmir valley in terms of casualties, was later claimed by Lashkar-e-Toiba; the Bijbehara attack by Hizb and the Anantnag attack was traced to Lashkar. Despite separate claims for attacks, security agencies believe the militant outfits are working in an absolute tandem, at least, in south Kashmir.A senior police official, on condition of anonymity, said they had inputs that meetings between the cadre of Lashkar and Hizb had taken place before every attack to finalise the modalities and chalk out strategy.“They have planned every attack together and have provided each other logistics and in some cases even manpower,” the police official said.He said Lashkar commander Abu Dujana, who took over after Abu Qasim was killed last year, had been instrumental in bringing the two outfits together. Dujana is thought to be the mastermind of many attacks, including Pampore on June 25.Security forces came across one such meeting of the militant outfits on June 30 in Pulwama district, a day ahead of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to the Valley. Two militants, including a local and a foreigner, were killed during the gunfight that followed.South Kashmir region has a total of around 60-65 militants presently operating within the five police districts, including Kulgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Awantipora and Shopian.Only 17 of the total are Lashkar cadre, seven of them foreign nationals.Officially Anantnag and Shopian do not have any Lashkar cadre. However, the June 5 attack on policemen in Anantnag stands testimony that the militants cross over to other areas to strike.“They operate from different areas under different aliases, particularly the non-locals. Obviously they are provided support by the locals active in that particular area regardless of the outfit,” said a police official from Kulgam district which has highest number (five) of Lashkar men active.

The Abu Dujana link

• Despite separate claims for recent attacks, security agencies believe the militant outfits are working in an absolute tandem, at least, in south Kashmir
• Police have inputs that meetings between the cadre of Lashkar and Hizb took place before every attack to finalise the modalities and chalk out strategy
• Lashkar commander Abu Dujana, who took over after Abu Qasim was killed last year, has been instrumental in bringing the two outfits together, said a police official

Details of Nodal Officers of respective PSA
Nodal Officers:

In case of any doubt relating to revision of pension in terms of these orders, PDAs may immediately take up the matter with Nodal Officers of the respective PSAs by name as under:-

For commissioned officers

Army: Shri. R.B.Sharma, Sr. AO(P)
O/o the PCDA (P) Allahabad- 211014
Phone – 0532-2421877 Extn. 144
Email – cda-albd@nic.in

Navy: Smt Vandana Shetty, Sr. AO
O/o the PCDA (NAVY), Mumbai- 400039
Phone – 022-22696139
Email – pcdanavy@nic.in

Air Force: – Shri Ravinder Grover, Sr. AO
O/o the JCDA (Air Force) New Delhi- 110066
Phone – 011-25695012
E-mail- dcdaaf-delh.cgda@nic.in

For JCOs/ORs

Army: – Shri S.C. Saroj, Sr. A.O(P)
O/o the PCDA (P) Allahabad- 211014
Phone – 0532-2421877 Ext. 206
Email – cda-albd@nic.in
Authority  pcda circular 555

PENSION ADALAT 2016—PATIALA CANTT—08-09 JUL 2016

LOCATION:–      ONE ARMD DIV SIGNAL REGIMENT

TIME             : 9 A.M ONWARDS

SUBJECTS:      PAO,ECHS,DPDO,ELECTRICITY,WATER,RTO,POLICE DEPARTMENT,VSK,ARO,APN,AWHO,CSD,SMART CARD ISSUE WILL BE DISCUSSED.

ALL ESM,WIDOWS,VEER NARIES REQUESTED TO BRING ALL DOCUMENTS

Tiger Hill regained: Though picturesque, dominating and difficult, Tiger Hill is a war symbol to every Indian

Seventeen years ago, on July 4-5, 1999, the Indian army fought and won a magnificent battle victory during the Kargil war. There were two turning points in the Kargil war: the capture of Tololing which started the ‘turn in the tide’ and the back-to-back capture of Tiger Hill and Point 4875. Although Point 4875 was tactically more important, it was the capture of Tiger Hill which caused a physical and psychological blow to Pakistan and the ‘end in sight’ for us. Tiger Hill is 5,062-metre-high with sharp conical features and stands majestically among the mountaintops a few kilometres north of Dras. One cannot miss it, or help admire it, as one drives along National Highway 1A (NH 1A) from Zojila to Kargil. During the Kargil war, it was a delight for photojournalists as it provided some of the best pictures of that war. From Tiger Hill, the enemy (one company of Pak 12 Northern Light Infantry) had a clear view of NH 1A from Dras to Bhimbat, and the road leading to Marpola on the Line of Control (LoC). They could effectively interdict vehicular movement on these roads with observed artillery fire. We were clear that unless Tiger Hill and Point 4875 (located 2 km to its South-West) were secured, movement along NH 1A will never be safe. Although Point 4875 was closer and dominated a larger stretch of NH 1A, Tiger Hill occupied by the enemy was more difficult to climb and assault.In the second week of May, 1999, 8 Sikh moving from Udhampur to the Kashmir valley was diverted to Dras. On arrival, the Brigade Commander launched the unit into battle without acclimatisation and snow clothing to clear Tiger Hill. The unit suffered heavy casualties in its attempt to get close to the objective. It was then ordered to occupy dominating heights in the vicinity in the area called ‘Parion ka Talab’. No further attempts were made to capture Tiger Hill for the next six weeks till we were able to clear the approaches and fully ready for it.On June 27, 1999, I visited HQ 8 Mtn Div and 56 Mtn Bde at Dras. That evening, 2 Raj Rif was preparing to attack Three Pimples, another very difficult feature west of Tololing. After GOC, 8 Mtn Div, Maj Gen Mohinder Puri briefed me on the ground situation, I asked him about his next objective. He told me that after a few days, 192 Mtn Bde will attack Tiger Hill and Point 4875. The attack on Tiger Hill was to precede the attack on Point 4857 by a day so that enemy attention would be diverted from the latter more strongly held objective. That I thought was a sound decision. Tiger Hill extends about 2,200 metres from west to east and about 1,000 metres north to south. The main extension is towards west on which there are two prominent protrusions. The first, approximately 500 metres west of Tiger Hill, had been named ‘India Gate’. The second, another 300 metres to the west, was called ‘Helmet’. 18 Grenadiers along with 8 Sikh, which were already in the area, were tasked to capture Tiger Hill on the night of July 3-4, 1999. They were provided a team of the High Altitude Warfare School, adequate artillery, engineer and other support. The Air Force could easily identify the prominent conical shape of Tiger Hill. It engaged the objective on July 2-3, 1999, and was able to score many bull’s eyes in its missions.The multi-directional infantry assault began at 1900 hours on July 3, 1999, with direct and indirect firing by artillery and MBRLs. 8 Sikh provided the firm base and engaged the enemy from ‘obvious’ approaches as part of a deception plan. 18 Grenadiers moved towards the objective from the south and north east. The weather assisted the battalions in achieving surprise. Lt. Balwan Singh led the Ghatak Platoon of 18 Grenadiers on the most difficult, north-eastern approach. His Platoon made use of ropes to reach the top at 4.30 hours and totally surprised the enemy which had already suffered due to heavy artillery shelling and air attacks. In the ensuring hand-to-hand fighting, the enemy lost 10-12 personnel. 18 Grenadiers suffered six fatal casualties. Grenadier Yogendar Singh Yadav, who was in the lead on the rope and wounded badly, earned India’s highest gallantry award of Param Vir Chakra. The Ghatak Platoon with some reinforcements firmed in on the Tiger Hill top but came under enemy fire from the Western Spur. Brig Bajwa, Commander 192 Mtn Bde, quickly moved a company of 8 Sikh to occupy India Gate and Helmet. It was reinforced by another company of 18 Grenadiers. On the morning of July 5, the enemy launched a fierce counter-attack led by two officers. One, Capt Kamal Sher fought gallantly and was killed. Later, he was awarded Pakistan’s highest gallantry award when we returned his body to Pakistan.In New Delhi, I remained anxious all night till Lt. Gen Krishan Pal, GOC 15 Corps, rang up at 0600 hours on July 4, 1999, to inform me that 18 Grenadiers had reached the Tiger Hill top and heavy fighting was going on. After consulting him and the Director General Military Operations, we decided to wait for confirmation from Maj Gen Puri. At 0730 hours, Puri spoke to me and confirmed that the enemy would not be able to dislodge 18 Grenadiers from the Tiger Hill top. By then the Defence Minister was on his way to Amritsar. When he landed at Amritsar airport, I gave him this exciting news. I also informed the Prime Minister, who was to address a public meeting in Haryana at 10 am.July 4, 1999, was an important date. Despite heavy commitments of Independence Day, President Clinton had agreed to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, who had conveyed desperation in wanting to meet. The meeting was to take place in the evening –early morning of 5th July in India. We made sure that the whole world got to know about the capture of Tiger Hill and thus, the likely outcome of the Kargil war.That was a hard psychological blow for the Pakistan army. Initially, it tried to deny the existence of Tiger Hill and labelled the entire operations as a figment of the imagination. But with Indian media beaming live war pictures into drawing rooms, that kind of fooling was no longer possible. The Indian victory made Pakistanis realise the writing on the wall. In India, there was a wave of jubilation and relief in the mood of the people! — The writer is a former Chief of the Army Staff

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 24

India’s Mi-17 1V helicopters, used primarily  for disaster rescue operations and transportation of troops to remote areas, are finally going to Russia for a major overhaul.Mi-17 1V is a product of Kazan Helicopters, which also carries out the overhaul. A major overhaul means not only repairs or change of engine, but also avionics and hydraulics. For the Border Security Force Air Wing, this comes four years after the choppers started getting grounded in Delhi for running on outdated parts.BSF’s Mi-17 1Vs are based out of Delhi because the hangars are better equipped. This reduces their capacity to work outside Delhi, as they have to undergo maintenance after every 50 flying hours.Four of BSF’s six Mi-17 1Vs were grounded in 2012. The fifth gave away in January last year and the last one was grounded last month. At present, all require a complete overhaul.The situation is equally bad for the Indian Air Force. It has four squadrons of Mi-17 1Vs, each having 12 helicopters, meaning a total of 48. Most are grounded as they have reached the overhaul stage.The BSF, on its own, does not have the resources to overhaul the Mi-17 1Vs and looks to the IAF for help. However, the Air Force expects it to strike a deal with the manufacturing firm on its own. These machines were bought along with the ones procured by the IAF in 2003.Other than the four squadrons of IAF’s Mi-17 1Vs, the remaining have been converted to Mi-17 V5. “The Mi-17 1Vs cannot always be sent to Russia. Because it is not practical to establish a servicing facility in India for the 1V, it will be eventually be phased out,” said an official, adding that a base repair depot for overhauling the Mi-17 V5 will be established in Kanpur.

LAST SEEN AN-32 lost height rapidly from 23,000ft, about 280km off Chennai

NEW DELHI/ CHENNAI: An Indian air force plane carrying 29 personnel went missing over the Bay of Bengal on its way from Chennai to the Andaman Nicobar Islands on Friday, triggering an expansive search involving helicopters, warships and a submarine.

The Russian-origin Antonov-32 plane disappeared about 280 km off the coast of Chennai from where it had taken off at 8.30 am. It was due to arrive around midday at Port Blair — about 1,400km away — which hosts India’s only tri-service command.

The plane was flying 12 air force personnel, one each from the army, navy and coast guard and eight civilians, some of them family members of soldiers. It also had a crew of six. The medium-lift plane, upgraded last year, can fly for four hours and 15 minutes without refuelling.

“The aircraft was observed to have carried out a left turn with rapid loss of height from 23,000 feet,” an Indian Air Force (IAF) official told Hindustan Times.

IAF officials said the missing plane made its last radio contact at 8.46 am and it was last seen on the radar at 9.12 am.

At least four planes, including two P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft, helicopters and 13 warships are scouring the sea looking for the plane.

AN-32 missing; 29 on board

Massive search operation on to trace Chennai to Port Blair plane

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 22

An Indian Air Force transport plane, AN-32, with 29 people on board was reported missing over the Bay of Bengal this morning. The Navy, IAF and the Coast Guard have launched a massive search operation.The plane was among the 64 AN-32s in the IAF fleet that were upgraded and re-equipped under a $400 million contract by the parent manufacturer in Ukraine. The plane, based at Sulur (Coimbatore), had developed defects thrice since July 2, sources confirmed.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The remaining 40 planes of the AN-32 fleet are to be upgraded from next year at the IAF’s “1 base repair depot Kanpur”. As many as 104 AN-32 aircraft were imported from Soviet Union in phases between 1984 and 1991. The upgrade of these planes, between 25 and 32 years old, is being done to extend their life, allowing the last batch to fly till 2035.The plane had taken off at 8.30 am from the Tambaram air base, Chennai, and was scheduled to land at 11.30 am at the Port Blair naval base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.The plane was on a routine flight, carrying men and material to Port Blair, and all those on board were either service personnel or civilian staff of the services.The plane last made radio contact with the Chennai Air Traffic Control at 8.46 am, 16 minutes after the take-off. Its radar signal was last seen at 9.12 am. The pilot did not radio the location or sound “Mayday” (crisis) before it was reported missing.A submarine, equipped with the system to pick up signals from the locating beacon of the aircraft, has been diverted to look for the plane.Navy’s P8-I surveillance aircraft has also been pressed into service along with the Dornier surveillance planes of the Navy and the Coast Guard. These carry powerful sensors and send live imagery to the control room.Besides, a dozen naval warships and two Coast Guard vessels have set sail.The IAF has dispatched a C-130-J and an AN-32 for search. The Chennai-Port Blair IAF “courier” flight flies thrice a week.Those on board included six crew, 15 personnel from the IAF, Army, Navy and Coast Guard, and eight civilians who were family members of the personnel. One of the passengers was a woman IAF officer married to a Coast Guard officer based in Port Blair.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to visit Tambaram air base on Saturday.

(With agency inputs)

Not new to midair scare

• Soviet-origin AN-32, said to be a sturdy plane, has been involved in several fatal crashes and instances of structural failure
• In 1994, the navigator’s bubbler, which allows him to look at the terrain below, shattered, sucking him out over the Himalayas
• A few years ago, the cargo ramp of an AN-32 on Leh-Chandigarh circuit with 42 on board burst open at 25,000 feet
• An AN-32 fatally crashed in J-K in 1986; and mid-air collisions were reported near Ludhiana in 1992 and Assam in 2012

SRINAGAR: Army chief General Dalbir Singh reviewed the security situation in Kashmir on Wednesday and appealed to the people to maintain peace while calling for strict vigil along the Line of Control (LoC).

PTIChief of Army Staff Gen Dalbir Singh having a word with army officers during his visit to the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps on Wednesday.

The Army chief also complimented the troops on ground for showing maximum restraint even in the face of grave provocation besides appreciating the synergy being shown among all security agencies that has resulted in successful counter-terrorist operations, an Army spokesman said.

“The Chief of Army Staff reviewed the security situation in Kashmir during his visit to the Srinagar based 15 Corps,” the spokesman said. He said the Army Chief was briefed by the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D S Hooda and Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Satish Dua on the situation along the LoC and the hinterland including the measures instituted to ensure close coordination with all security and other government agencies towards maintaining peace in the Valley.

The Army chief, accompanied by the Northern Army and Chinar Corps Commanders, also visited the Kupwara Division in north Kashmir and Awantipur based ‘Victor Force’ where he was briefed on the operational preparedness as also the initiatives taken by Army in collaboration with civil administration to alleviate hardships being faced by the populace due to the prevailing unrest, the spokesman said.

Protesters clash with security personnel in Srinagar on July 14, 2016. — AFP

New Delhi, July 14

Hitting out at Pakistan for trying to internationalise the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani, India today  reiterated that Kashmir was an internal matter and that Pakistan had no locus standi. India accused Pakistan of sending terrorists into its territory and fanning discontent in the Kashmir valley.At the United Nations, India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said Pakistan used terrorism as a state policy towards the “misguided end of coveting the territory of others”.His strong remarks followed Pakistan’s PR Maleeha Lodhi describing Wani as a ‘Kashmiri leader’.Pakistan had summoned the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad on Monday and raised the Kashmir issue.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup today said the Indian envoy told Pakistan that Kashmir was India’s internal matter and that India had rejected the demarche issued in the matter.“Terrorism is terrorism and no amount of justification on part of Pakistan is going to change that,” Swarup said. Dismissing reports that India planned to summon Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, he said this being an internal matter, India saw no reason to involve Pakistan.  On a dialogue with Pakistan, he reaffirmed that India never shied away from talks. However, he said it was incumbent upon Pakistan to create the right atmosphere as “talks and terror cannot go hand in hand”.  — TNS

Bilawal calls up Mirwaiz, vows support

• Srinagar: Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto called up Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday and expressed ‘solidarity’ with the Kashmiris, the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference said. “Spoke to @MirwaizKashmir & expressed condolences, condemnation & solidarity withpeople of #Kashmir,” Bilawal wrote on his twitter handle. TNS

Vanita Singh, widow of Ranbir Singh, shows a letter written to the President and the Prime Minister to know the cause of her husband’s death. Photo: Indervesh Duhan

Sat Singh

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, July 13

Ranbir Singh of Indian Navy died in 2015 while he was on a 45 days’ official tour on INS Teg in Mauritius. Officials attributed the death to brain haemorrhage, but his widow Vanita Singh (36) refused to buy this theory.“After repeated requests and an RTI plea, Navy has failed to tell me in writing the cause of my husband’s death,” she told the media here today.Vanita is a mother of two children.“On July 25, 2015, Navy officials told me that my husband was seriously ill in Mauritius. They took me to hospital, where his body was lying, on July 29,” Vanita said, adding she was told verbally that Ranbir died of brain haemorrhage.She said her husband was physically fit before leaving for Mauritius. “When I saw the body, there were injury marks on his head. That made me suspect foul play.”Ranbir of the district’s Kadma village had joined Navy in 1995. He was posted as the Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) at the time of his death.Vanita claimed she did not receive support from the Navy in bringing back the body. “There is a protocol to bring the body back home. In my case, I had to arrange everything.”On her struggle, she has written to the President, Prime Minister, Defence Ministry and Navy Admiral, demanding that the cause of Ranbir’s death should be made public, but all in vain.But she is determined. “I will put more efforts to get a court of inquiry conducted, as knowing the cause of my husband’s death is my right,” she added.