Monthly Archives: October 2022

The study for the period 2014-19 has found that 80% of limb injuries were due to explosions caused by artillery shells and anti-personnel landmines.

Published in the latest issue of the Journal of Marine Medicine, the study on limb injuries shows that 80 per cent of such injuries, between 2014 and 2019, were due to explosions caused by artillery shells and anti-personnel landmines (APLM).

“From January 2014 to December 2019, we received 272 casualties, of which 166 (61.02 per cent) were with limb injuries”, said the study, Limb Injuries in Combat Trauma, compiled by Colonel Sanjay Maurya, Lt Colonel Vipin V. Nair, Colonel Onkar Singh and Lt Colonel S.K. Singh.

The analysis, however, is based only on 166 cases of injuries and not the fatal casualties. It is also from one tertiary care centre, which is likely to be the Command Hospital, Udhampur, in Jammu and Kashmir as the study has focussed on the western sector.

“Seventy-three (43.9 per cent) casualties had isolated upper limb injuries, 71 (42.77 per cent) had isolated lower limb injuries, and 22 (13.2 per cent) casualties had concomitant injuries,” the study said. “A total of 112 (67.4 per cent) injuries were caused by explosives or fragmentation devices, whereas 54 (32.5 per cent) were caused by bullets.”

It added that in most wars, fragmentation devices account for the majority of injuries. Fragmentation devices include IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar fire, APLM, and artillery shells.

Also read: CDS Bipin Rawat to work on items for import ban, artillery guns could be included

Artillery shells, landmines the worst offenders

The study also found that of the 112 injured, most had been hit by artillery shells or affected by landmines (APLMs).

“When we specified the explosive device, it was found that 80 per cent of these were caused by artillery shells and APLM,” the study said. “This high incidence is due to continuing hostilities across the Western border, where artillery shelling by the hostile nation is a constant feature.

“The movement of troops in the region of APLM during CI Ops also contributed to such high figures of landmine injuries. These findings can have implications for its administrative and logistic support for the military commanders,” the study added.

The study also underlined the importance of wearing body armour — bullet-proof jackets and helmets — which it said had improved the survivability of soldiers and the reason why 60 to 70 per cent of all injuries were recorded to hands and limbs.

The study itself is unique because it has for the first time evaluated limb injuries in a combat zone. It also demonstrates the grade of injuries, hospitalisation time, number of surgeries, and their correlation in the ongoing military operations by the Indian Armed Forces.

This study will be helpful for the Army commanders because it can form a basis of logistic and administrative support in providing quality combat trauma care and also focus on preventive aspects.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 19

A gunfight has raged between joint forces and militants in old Srinagar city, police said.

The gunfight broke out in the wee hours when joint teams of police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Kanemazar Nawakadal locality of downtown Srinagar after an input about militant presence.

“The operation was launched at around 2 am and the contact with militants was established immediately when the suspected area was being cordoned,” a police officer said. “The operation is underway.”

A policeman has been injured in the ongoing operation.

The authorities have suspended low speed mobile internet and the voice calling service of all operators except for BSNL has also been snapped in Srinagar district.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the acquittal of an Indian Army sepoy accused of raping the doctor wife of a lieutenant colonel. The prosecutrix had claimed that she was pregnant and had returned home from a visit to a hospital when the alleged incident occurred.

“Long silence regarding the alleged occurrence of prosecutrix and her husband, both of whom were well educated, creates doubt regarding the prosecution story,” the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh observed.

The Bench also dismissed the prosecutrix’s application for grant of leave to appeal after terming it as “devoid of merit”. An FIR in the matter was registered for rape and criminal intimidation under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC at Sujanpur police station in Pathankot against the sepoy. But Pathankot Additional Sessions Judge acquitted the accused after giving him the benefit of doubt in his judgment dated January 20, 2016.

In her complaint to the police lodged in February 2015, the prosecutrix had alleged that the incident had taken place in March 2014. She was pregnant and had gone to the hospital for medical check-up in her husband’s official vehicle driven by the accused. He followed her inside the house while carrying a bag of groceries before the incident occurred.

The Bench asserted the explanations put forth by the prosecution regarding delay in lodging the FIR did not appeal to the mind of the court.

The prosecutrix claimed she disclosed the alleged incident to her husband in January 2015. Even her husband stated the same. But the doctor treating her admitted that the husband of prosecutrix informed him about the incident in November 2014.

The Bench asserted it was not clear why the prosecutrix and her husband did not report the alleged incident dated March 4, 2014, to the police till February 2, 2015. The prosecutrix, while appearing in the witness box, admitted she kept accompanying the accused in the official vehicle to the hospital for her medical check-up during the next 15 days.

Anantnag/Srinagar, May 21

A policeman was killed and two other security personnel were injured in a militant attack in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.

Militants opened fire on a joint checkpoint set up by the police and the CRPF at Prichoo, Pulwama. “Two policemen and a CRPF jawan were injured in the incident. An injured policeman later succumbed to his injuries,” a senior police officer said.

The slain cop has been identified as Anoop Singh of 10 Battalion of the IRP.

Soon after the attack, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the militants. This was the second attack on the forces in less than 24 hours in Kashmir. Two BSF men were killed in an ambush near Srinagar yesterday.

Meanwhile, a day after a picture of three gun-wielding youths went viral on social media, security forces arrested them in Kupwara district. The trio, the police said, had joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

SSP Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said, “After their picture went viral, we started picking up their contacts. During a search operation, we nabbed the trio and recovered weapons from them.” — TNS

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Khutra (Doda), May 17

In a breakthrough, security forces today killed a top militant, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Saifullah, in a gun battle at Khutra village of Doda district. An Army jawan also lost his life in the operation.

Slain militant was behind RSS leader’s killing

• The slain HM commander was involved in killing of RSS leader & his PSO in Kishtwar and IED blast near CRPF convoy last year
• He was directed by HM to revive terrorism in Chenab region by targeting security forces and carrying out ‘sensational attacks’

The jawan has been identified as Naik Raj Singh of 10 Rashtriya Rifles belonging to Gurugram, Haryana.

The slain militant was identified as Hizb commander Tahir Ahmed Bhat of Malangpora in Kashmir’s Pulwama district. According to the police, Tahir was involved in the killing of RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO in Kishtwar district in April last year.

The police said joint teams of Army’s RR, police and CRPF launched an operation on Saturday.

“The village was cordoned off and around 8 am, search parties came under fire, to which security personnel retaliated. The militant took shelter in a house. In the initial firing, an Army jawan was injured and he succumbed on way to hospital,” said a source.

The security forces blew up the house and later found the body of the militant. An AK-47 rifle, snatched during RSS leader’s killing, was also recovered.

New Delhi: Chinese border defence troops have made the “necessary moves” and “enhanced control measures” at the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh, the country’s state media has reported.

The Galwan Valley is the region where Chinese soldiers clashed with the Indian Army resulting in several injuries earlier this month.

The report by Global Times, said China’s border defence troops have taken necessary measures to strengthen an on-the-spot response and control of border areas, “resolutely safeguarding China’s sovereignty and security and maintaining peace and stability in border areas”.

The confirmation by China of increased tensions at the LAC comes amidst a move by India to downplay the incident.

“Temporary and short duration face-offs between border guarding troops do occur along the LAC due to the differing perceptions of the alignment of boundaries, which are not resolved,” Army chief Gen. M.M. Naravane had said in a statement last Thursday. “There were two incidents at Eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim where aggressive behaviour by both sides resulted in minor injuries to troops, post which both sides disengaged after dialogue and interaction at local level.” Gen. Naravane had also said that face-offs happen for a number of reasons, including when a new local commander moves in. He added that there was aggression by both sides.

ThePrint had reported on 10 May that even though “official disengagement” has happened, additional troops have been pressed in.

The Chinese have set up a number of tents on their side to cater to the additional troops.

Also read: Pakistan’s 40-yr-old Gilgit-Baltistan dam project could finally be a reality, with China help

India purposely instigated conflicts: Chinese media  

The Global Times report has blamed India for the incident on the evening of 5 May when Chinese troops attacked Indian soldiers near the Galwan river in Eastern Ladakh.

Chinese troops had objected to Indian presence there claiming it was their territory, which the Army had rejected.

Giving its version of events, the Global Times, citing sources, said that since early May, India has been crossing the boundary line in the Galwan Valley region and entering Chinese territory.

“The Indian side built defence fortifications and obstacles to disrupt Chinese border defense troops’ normal patrol activities, purposefully instigated conflicts and attempted to unilaterally change the current border control situation,” it said.

It added that the Galwan Valley region is Chinese territory, and the local border control situation was very clear.

“The actions by the Indian side have seriously violated China and India’s agreements on border issues, violated China’s territorial sovereignty and harmed military relations between the two countries,” it said.

The Indian Army has been reached for reaction on the Chinese media report and the copy will be updated as and when it comes.

Citing the same source, the Chinese report said the border troops of China and India will keep in touch with each other on the current situation through meetings and representations.

ThePrint had reported on 14 May that Indian and Chinese armies are working out the dates for the next formal discussions between “higher” military authorities in the Ladakh sector to sort out the tensions arising out of the face off.

Jammu, May 19

The Pakistan Army on Tuesday shelled forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, a defence spokesperson said.

This is second ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army in the last 12 hours along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

“At about 0730 hours today, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by small arm firing and mortar shelling along LoC in Sunderbani sector”, the spokesperson said, adding the Indian Army retaliated befittingly.

The cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on when last reports were received, the spokesperson said.

There was no immediate report of any casualty during the Pakistani shelling.

Pakistan had on Monday night opened fire and shelled mortars along the LoC in Gulpur sector of Poonch. —PTI