http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/final-count-5-dead-silence-on-more/179520.html
Final count: 5 dead,
silence on ‘more’
NSG comes up with
definitive figure of terrorists killed; combing operation continues in
Pathankot
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Pathankot, January 4
As operations to
clear the Pathankot Air Force Station of terrorists continued for the third
day, security forces came up with what could be construed as a definitive
figure to end the confusion: the fifth terrorist had been killed today. They,
however, chose to maintain silence on the possible presence of more terrorists
inside, saying combing operations were underway.
Edit:unsatisfactory
response
Earlier during the
day, there were reports of six terrorists having been killed, with the last one
blowing himself up, but the commanders on the ground did not officially mention
any additional number other than five.
“We have eliminated the fifth
terrorist today and the combing and search operations are still continuing,”
Maj Gen Dushyant Singh, Inspector General (Operations) of the National Security
Guard (NSG), announced at the airbase this evening as an IAF C-130 Super
Hercules special missions aircraft circled overhead and intermittent gunshots
could be heard nearby.
Gunshots indicated the possible
presence of more terrorists inside or a cautionary measure being undertaken by
combat elements when faced with a doubtful situation.
The operations are being
conducted by the NSG with support from the Army, which is contributing a “major
combat element” along with medical and administrative support.
The IAF has also deployed its
assets, including Mi-35 helicopter gunships, Mi-17 and Dhruv helicopters,
unmanned aerial vehicles and its Garud special forces.
“Given the magnitude of the
airbase, the search operations will continue till we can declare the station
fully safe,” Maj Gen Dushyant Singh said, adding that all assets at the
station, including personnel and families, were secure and safe. The air base
is huge, spread over 75 acres with a residential area, a school and other
amenities, besides technical facilities.
Senior officers said the Army
was on a general alert since January 1 following inputs of a terror strike. The
area around the air base remains cordoned off and access roads have been
barricaded with armed Air Force guards along with the police manning the
check-points.
Life beyond the vicinity of the
air base appeared to continue as routine, with bustling markets and jostling
traffic.
There have been no reports of
any further casualties among NSG and armed forces personnel present at the
airbase. Seven persons, including a Lieutenant Colonel have been killed in the
operations, besides about 20 being injured.
Ravi Dhaliwal adds: The Army and
Air Force were said to be under pressure from New Delhi to tear down the
residential building where two terrorists had taken position after four
co-attackers had been shot dead. The two, it is learnt, had entered the
building last evening.
The Army, anticipating their
move, had got the premises vacated. The building is adjacent to the Technical
Area and has been partially damaged. It was during the blast that one of the
ultras was killed while the remaining one managed to escape. A hunt is on to nab
or kill him.
Experts also examined the drain
from where the terrorists are believed to have entered the Air Force complex.
The drain flows from outside the high-walled station, near the Akalgarh
Gurdwara, to inside the base away from the Technical Area. That is the reason
why the terrorists kept firing from the outskirts and failed to enter the space
where high-tech air equipment, including a squadron of fighter planes and
helicopters, has been parked.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police have
formed a special team to trace the route taken by the terrorists to reach the
outskirts of the air base. Some officers opine that the armed men trudged their
way in from Paharipur village, near the border, in this district. However,
another section says the terrorists might have come in from either Bamyal or
from the border near Dinanagar. The police team is working in tandem with the
BSF officials.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/united-jehad-council-claims-responsibility/179579.html
United Jehad Council
claims responsibility
Azhar Qadri
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 4
United Jehad Council
(UJC), a conglomerate of a dozen active and defunct militant organisations
operating in Kashmir, has claimed responsibility for the attack on the
Pathankot air base.
In a statement to
the media, UJC spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain said the attack was carried out
by militants linked to the “national highway squad”. The UJC is headquartered
in Muzzafarabad, PoK, and was formed in 1990.
While suspense and
confusion mounted as the Pathankot operation entered its third day on Monday,
the security agencies were sure about the increasing footprint of
Jaish-e-Mohammad’s involvement. At this time, the UJC’s claim has come as a
surprise as it is considered more docile compared to radical groups
Lashkar-e-Toiba and JeM.
The UJC also blamed
New Delhi, the media and Indian armed forces for “suffering from a Pakistan
phobia”.
The UJC is headed by
Hizbul Mujahideen’s Syed Salahuddin and was initially a conglomerate of 13 groups operating in Kashmir. The prominent
member organisations include Hizbul Mujahideen, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen and Al
Badr, while the rest have mostly become defunct.
In October 2003,
reports had emerged that LeT and JeM, which had mostly Pakistan nationals, have
been included in the conglomerate as observer members.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/rethink-on-fs-talks-nsas-may-engage/179506.html
Rethink on FS talks,
NSAs may engage
Simran Sodhi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 4
As the Pathankot
operation entered its third day today, signs emerged of a rethink within the
government on the foreign secretary-level talks scheduled for January 15 in
Islamabad.
Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley indicated the change in the government thinking when asked if
India would go ahead with the talks. “Let the operations get over; only then
will the government take a view on such matters,” he told mediapersons after
the National Security Council meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi discussed the Pathankot and Mazar-i-Sharif terror attacks, apart from the
North-East earthquake.
On any connection
between the Pathankot and Mazar-i-Sharif attacks, he said: “It is too early to
comment.” Though a final decision on the postponement of the FS talks will be
made only after the Pathankot operation ends, sources indicate the government
is thinking if it should push for a dialogue between the National Security
Advisers (NSA) before the FS talks.
The NSAs have been
mandated by the two prime ministers to discuss terror while the mandate of the
foreign secretaries is to decide the modalities for taking the comprehensive
dialogue forward.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/four-die-in-siachen-avalanche/179483.html
Four die in Siachen
avalanche
Jawans of 3 Ladakh
Scouts succumb despite being rescued
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 4
Four soldiers died
after being hit by an avalanche in the Siachen Glacier in the remote Ladakh
region of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said today.
“Four jawans of 3 Ladakh Scouts
were killed when their patrol party was hit by an avalanche yesterday morning.
The victims were rescued but they died later,” defence spokesman SD Goswami
said. Another official said the avalanche had hit the soldiers at the Siachen
Glacier in Ladakh, a remote region comprising Leh and Kargil frontier districts
that remain cut-off from rest of the state during winter.
The deceased have been
identified as Havildar Dorjey Gason, Havildar Tsewang Norboo, Rifleman Jigmat
Chosdup and Rifleman Mohmmad Yusuf. Goswami said the mortal remains of the
soldiers would be handed over to their families after all medical formalities.
The Siachen Glacier is the
world’s highest battlefield and has remained a site of regular skirmishes
between the armies of India and Pakistan from 1984, when the Indian Army
launched a pre-emptive military operation to secure its control, to 2003 when a
ceasefire was announced along the Line of Control.
The remote areas of Ladakh
region are prone to avalanches and avalanche-related casualties among soldiers
guarding the Line of Control with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control with
China are common during winter months.
Two soldiers and two Nepalese
labourers working for the Army had died last year after avalanches hit two
camps in Kargil district of remote Ladakh region.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/25-hour-siege-of-indian-consulate-in-afghanistan-ends-3-militants-killed/179525.html
25-hour siege of
Indian Consulate in Afghanistan ends; 3 militants killed
Kabul/New Delhi,
January 4
An intense 25-hour
gun-battle between security forces and terrorists outside the Indian Consulate
in Mazar-i-Sharif came to end tonight with the killing of all attackers who
attempted to storm the mission building.
While three of the
attackers were killed in the gunfight overnight, the remaining were neutralised
by the night.
“Afghan officials have confirmed
that the operation has ended,” said a Indian government source. “The clearance
operation is over and all terrorists have all been killed,” said provincial
police chief Sayed Kamal Sadat. Some reports said one of the attackers was
captured alive but there was no confirmation about it.
A group of terrorists had
attacked the Consulate at around 9.15 pm yesterday with an aim of storming the
building but their plan was thwarted by the security forces. Earlier, official
sources said special combat units of the Afghan National Police had recovered
three bodies outside the Indian consulate.
Subsequently, some more
terrorists were holed up in a five-storey building about 100 metres across the
road from the Indian Consulate and security forces had launched a daunting
onslaught to neutralise them.
“Our search operation is still
going on inside the building," AFP quoted government spokesman Shir Jan
Durrani as saying. According to him, one policeman was killed and 11 others
injured in the encounter.
Officials said the Consulate
came under attack at around 9.15 pm last night with at least two militants
trying to "storm". ITBP guards deployed on the sentry post foiled
their attempt by raining heavy fire on them.
They said at least seven
Rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rounds were fired in the direction of the
Consulate but all missed it.
Officials added that while there
has been no damage to the five-storeyed and pink-coloured Consulate building A
strong contingent of over four-dozen ITBP commandos has been securing this
facility from 2008 apart from three other missions in the country and the main
Embassy in the capital, Kabul.— PTI
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/nsg-commando-s-last-rites-in-kerala-today/179485.html
NSG commando’s last
rites in Kerala today
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service
Bengaluru, January 4
Karnataka CM
Siddharamaiah today announced Rs30 lakh as compensation to the family of Lt Col
Niranjan EK who died fighting terrorists at Pathankot.
Siddaramaiah said, “Karnataka
had given Rs30 lakh as compensation to the family of Major Sandeep
Unnikrishnan, a martyr in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. We will give the same
compensation to Niranjan’s family.”
Kumar’s body was
brought to the HAL Airport at Bengaluru today and kept at the mortuary at
Command Hospital. The body was brought to his residence around 7 am where
family members burst into tears after they saw the mortal remains. Niranjan’s
mother is no more. His family comprised his wife and a young child, father, elder
brother, sister and stepmother and a stepbrother. His brother E Sharath is an
IAF pilot. Union ministers Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah, former Union minister Veerappa Moily paid tributes to the martyr.
The body was then flown
by a Mi-17 helicopter to Niranjan’s native village Palakkad in Kerala where the
cremation would take place tomorrow.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/from-samba-he-was-only-earning-hand-in-his-family/179486.html
From Samba, he was
only earning hand in his family
Vishal Jasrotia
Samba, January 4
Mool Raj, a Defence
Security Corps (DSC) employee, was cremated with full military honours in Jakh
village of Jammu & Kashmir’s Samba district.
His native village
went into mourning soon after hearing the news of his death on Saturday. The
village wore a sombre look as most shops remain closed.
The villagers paid
homage to the martyr. Chander Prakash Ganga, state Minister for Industry and
Commerce; Yashpal Singh, Brigadier, 92 Infantry Brigade, Joginder Singh, SSP,
Samba; and officials of the district administration and the police were among
those present at the funeral.
The sole earner in
his family, Mool Raj is survived by his mother, wife Gayatri Devi, daughter
Pooja (a student of BA-I) and son Ashish (in BA-II).
Mool Raj had
received bullet injuries in his throat during the attack on January 2 and he
later succumbed to his injuries in a military hospital.
Mool Raj had retired
from the Dogra Regiment in 2002 and joined the DSC in 2004. He was now posted
at the Pathankot Air Force station and had recently spent a vacation with his
family.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/isi-laying-honeytraps-on-facebook-and-twitter-to-snare-indian-defence-personnel/1/561137.html
ISI laying
honeytraps on Facebook and Twitter to snare Indian defence personnel
According to
security agencies, there is a dedicated team of ISI spies working to track
vulnerable officers on social media.
Last year, in May, a
top defence expert based in Delhi posted a picture of him posing in front of a
military tank with an assault rifle in hand, on Facebook. Soon after he
uploaded the image, the expert started receiving friend requests and chat
invites from so many random admirers, especially women.
Taken aback by this
sudden and unusual attention, the expert decided to share the matter with his
associates in the defence forces. What he heard from them made his jaw drop.
His female admirers were actually agents working for Pakistan's spy agency, Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI), and were out to lure him into sharing sensitive and
valuable details pertaining to defence operations.
According to Indian
security agencies, ISI has been using social networking sites such as Facebook
and Twitter to honey trap unsuspecting Indian personnel by providing training
to women on how to make explicit calls and chats, in a field traditionally
dominated by men. The lure begins with friend requests.
Once the request is
accepted, the chatting begins, eventually coaxing the personnel to share
sensitive information. However if the officer is unwilling or sceptical, an
offer of money ensues.
According to
security agencies, there is a dedicated team of ISI spies working to track
vulnerable officers on social media.
Deep reach
"The moment an
officer discloses his online identity, he/she comes on the radar of spies who
starts following him on the virtual world," says a senior officer
investigating the ISI spy network on conditions of anonymity. "They
(spies) also keep a track of their interest and hobbies to make a conversation
and get friendly. Spies have created many a fake profile and identity on social
media and use it according to their targets," says the officer.
The arrest of Indian
Air Force airman Ranjith K K, last week, for allegedly passing sensitive
information to his Facebook friend Damini McNaught is only the latest.
Ranjith, who joined
IAF in 2010, had reportedly passed on classified information about IAF and its
activities, including details of Operation Inderdhanush-a joint military
exercise between India and the U.K. He also admitted to having passed on Air
Force related information pertaining to movement of aircraft and deployment of
various units in the IAF in exchange for monetary benefits, according to the
police.
The airman allegedly
had been in touch with the woman and had engaged in sex chats, for the last
several months, before being finally arrested by the crime branch. The cops,
however, are still not sure if her profile picture used to lure the personnel,
created in 2012, is real or not. McNaught had portrayed herself as an executive
of a Britain-based magazine to the arrested IAF man.
This is not the
first time veteran army officers have fallen victim to honey trap on social
networking sites. Ranjith is the sixth person to be arrested by Delhi police
for being part of an espionage racket backed by the ISI. Five other people,
including an ex-army officer and a serving BSF official have been booked last
month.
In 2014, a Subedar
attached to the Indian Army based in Hyderabad was trapped after investigations
revealed that he compromised strategic information pertaining to movement of
defence personnel, deployment, location of artillery centres, advanced
weaponry, and army bases in exchange for monetary benefits to the tune of Rs 10
lakh from a woman named Anushka Aggarwal. Investigations also revealed that
Aggarwal used to send her semi-nude pictures to her army client.
"Our
investigation has revealed that ISI has set up a cyber wing equipped with modern
technologies for massive online tracking. They are giving voice training to
agents to appear more professional while dealing with defence personnel
online," says a senior official with the central security agency. The
woman who spoke to Ranjith, reportedly talked in a British accent to make the
interaction more convincing and in line with her assumed identity as U.K.-based
executive.
To counter espionage
attacks, the defence forces already have a guideline in place that urges all
its officials to be circumspect and not reveal their service identity while
online or on any social networking sites. The security agencies are also
keeping a tab on close to 2,000 retired and serving officers who are deemed as
susceptible to influences and are likely to pass information for money or other
favours.
The investigation
has also revealed that the hackers, suspected to be from Pakistan or China,
would 'make friends' with officer or with other members on his friend list to
extract details of their location. Unfortunately, despite heightened vigilance,
the lure of the devil seems to be too irresistible, at least for some.'
Reach of ISI spies
in India is deep and entrenched
Indian security
agencies may have recently arrested a number of people including senior defence
personnel complicit in passing information to Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI), but the breakthrough is just a tip of the ISI's horrifying
reach across the country.
Central security
agencies suspect that the ISI has managed to plant spies across the country and
the network is deep-rooted. They have also managed to establish links in
government organisations, including defence establishments.
Security agencies
claim that ISI is extracting information by deploying or grooming agents who do
recee on behalf of their Pakistani masters and then pass on information. They
are also strengthening their web attack by secretly attacking Indian network
with deadly viruses that transfer confidential files back to them. The
government, however, officially denies any successful high tech attacks that
have led to the compromising of computer networks.
ISI is also
expanding its technical intelligence on social media by tracking defence
personnel and other government official by honey trapping them.
Though there is no
clear estimate on the number of people spying for ISI or any other intelligence
agencies in India, it is believed that the Pakistani spy agency already has
information pertaining to all important buildings and establishments in India.
However, some cases
are serious, where the ISI has asked for specific details of important places
along with By Shashank Shekhar pictures and other logistics. A Pakistan national
who was arrested by UP STF from Meerut in December last year allegedly sent
recordings of the landing of Mirage 2000 on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater
Noida.
The IB has found
that many Indians, who travel to Pakistan legally, are being lured into becoming
spies. Many Indians visit Pakistan in order to meet their relatives or for some
other work. ISI agents are present at entry and exit routes in Pakistan and try
to trap vulnerable Indians and use them to get information.
According to a
highly placed source, the series of arrest made in Delhi, Kashmir, Kolkata,
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan came only after months of surveillance by
the Intelligence Bureau (IB). They launched a major operation against
collection of such information and zeroed in on suspected spies after
intercepting calls and web communication.
The arrests were
finally made after specific information was given to the state police.
But the biggest
concern for intelligence agencies is to identify spies, who are spread across
the country and but have gone underground.
"It is very
difficult to identify spies. They can be tracked only with human or technical
intelligence both of which are in acute shortage,"said a senior government
officer.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/i-will-send-my-grandson-to-join-indian-army-father-of-pathankot-martyr/
I will send my
grandson to join Indian Army: father of Pathankot martyr
The bodies of two
Himachal Pradesh martyrs Rana, 50, and Jagdish Chand, 58, of village Basa Gola in
Siyunta area of Chamba district were consigned to flames with full state
honours today
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/i-will-send-my-grandson-to-join-indian-army-father-of-pathankot-martyr/#sthash.8Gd9a6fB.dpuf
Holding back his
tears, Havaldar Sanjeevan Rana’s father Rattan Singh, himself an ex-servicemen,
said his son’s supreme sacrifice for the nation while fighting terrorists will
not go to waste.
“Let Indian government muster
the courage and give a befitting reply to the terrorists’ country (Pakistan).
Jab tak Pakistan ko eent ka wajib pathar se nahin diya jayega, hamare jawan
shaheed hote rahenge ( Till Pakistan is not given a befitting reply, Indian
jawans will keep attaining martyrdom like this,” he said
Rana was cremated in his village
Sehwan, near Shahpur in Kangra district.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/i-will-send-my-grandson-to-join-indian-army-father-of-pathankot-martyr/#sthash.8Gd9a6fB.dpuf
The bodies of two
Himachal Pradesh martyrs Rana, 50, and Jagdish Chand, 58, of village Basa Gola
in Siyunta area of Chamba district were consigned to flames with full state
honours today after the Army and Airforce brought the bodies wrapped in
tricolour to their native place. Both were retired army personnel and were
serving as Defence Security Core at the Pathankot airforce base station.
Jagdish Chand, who was transferred to Pathankot from Leh only few days ago, had
killed one terrorist by snatching his weapon before other militants gunned him
down.
Transport minister G
S Bali and Col (Rtd) Dhani Ram Shandil were flown from Shimla in a government
helicopter to attend the cremation of the Jawans. People numbering in hundreds
bade a tearful adieu to the gallant jawans as Shubam, son of Sanjeevan Rana,
performed the last rites. A pall of gloom descended on the area and slogans of
‘Bharat Mata Ki jai’ rent the air.
“I have also fought three wars
against Pakistan. But my son has outdid me by making a supreme sacrifice. It’s
a rare act of heroism and his sacrifice will be remembered. I also feel equally
proud for other martyrs who gave their blood to Bharat Mata to protect its
dignity and honour. I will send my grandson to the Indian army,” Rattan Singh
said.
Equally gloomy scenes were
witnessed at Basa Gola village where body of Jagdish Chand was consigned to
flames with full state and military honour. Forest minister Thakur Singh
Bharmouri, Deputy Commissioner Chamba M Sudha Devi and Local SP were among the
hundreds who paid tribute to the martyr.
“We are a family of soldiers. Of
four brothers, three are serving/and had served the Indian army. Our father was
also ex-armymen. It’s a loss to the family but I think with his (Jagdish)
sacrifice, nation has gained a pride. He (Jagdish) killed a terrorist before
his martyrdom, is not a small thing,” says Budhi Singh, his brother and a
retired armymen.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh
expressed grief over the death of two soldiers from Himachal Pradesh and
announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the families.
“Hav Sanjeevan Rana and Hav
Jagdish Chand sacrificed their lives for maintaining the unity, integrity and
security of the nation. Brave soldiers of Himachal Pradesh had always made
supreme sacrifices for sake of the country,” the chief minister said.
State Governor Acharya Devvrat
has also expressed grief over the tragedy. During Kargil war, Himachal Pradesh
had lost 52 soldiers, 15 of them were from Kangra. Capt Vikram Batra and Sepoy
Sanjay Kumar were conferred Paramvir Chakras for their bravery and valour
during the war.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/i-will-send-my-grandson-to-join-indian-army-father-of-pathankot-martyr/#sthash.8Gd9a6fB.dpuf
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