Indian Army jawan beheaded at Machil is no lone instance of Pakistan's barbarity
Taking barbarism to a new low, militants backed by Pakistan on October 28 mutilated the body of an Indian Army soldier close to the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector. One militant was killed and another, possibly involved in this heinous act, fled back to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
"Barbarism is a true reflection which pervades official and non-official organisations across the border. In a despicable act, the terrorist mutilated the body of an Indian Army soldier before fleeing into PoK, supported by covering fire from Pakistan army posts," the Army said.
It has promised a fitting response.
According to some defence experts, the operation seemed to be the handiwork of a BAT (border action team), which typically consists of terrorists and Pakistan Army regulars.
In a previous instance in January 2013, another Army jawan, Lance Naik Hemraj was mutilated in a similar, horrific manner, when Pakistan's Border Action Team breached the LoC and beheaded the soldier, and mutilated the body of his colleague Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh.
This incident is bound to further escalate tensions along the LoC and the international boundary in J&K. Since India carried out a surgical strike inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 28, more than 60 incidents of ceasefire violations have been reported.
On October 28, cross-border firing intensified across nine sectors of Jammu, along the international border and the LoC. Additional Director General, Border Security Force (BSF) Arun Kumar, said, in the last one week, Indian border guards have killed at least 15 Pakistani soldiers in retaliatory firing.
Official figures show that three Army jawans and four BSF men have been killed since the Indian Army's surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK on September 29.
Here are some instances of Indian soldiers mutilated by Pakistan perpetrators:
During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Captain Saurabh Kalia was tortured by his Pakistani captors who later handed over his mutilated body to India. In February, 2000, infamous Pakistani terrorist and al-Qaida member Ilyas Kashmiri had led a raid on the Indian Army's "Ashok Listening Post" in the Nowshera sector to kill seven Indian soldiers. Even then, Kashmiri had taken back to Pakistan the head of a 24-year-old Indian jawan, Bhausaheb Maruti Talekar of the 17 Maratha Light Infantry.
In June 2008, a soldier of the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles lost his way and was captured by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) in Kel sector. His body was found beheaded after a few days.
January 2013: One Indian soldier was beheaded and another killed by Pakistani troops after they crossed over into Indian territory in the Mendhar sector of Jammu & Kashmir.
October 28, 2016: A soldier was mutilated by a militant in Kupwara's Machil near the Line of Control while the Army was engaged in cross-border firing with Pakistan's rmy.
A list of Indian soldiers killed during Pakistan's firing post surgical strikes:
October 28, 2016: One more BSF Nitin Subhash from Maharashtra martyred in an operation during cover fire in Kupwara area of J&K's Machil sector.
October 28, 2016: Indian Army soldier Mandeep (26) was mutilated by a militant in Kupwara's Machhil near LoC while the army was engaged in cross-border firing with Pakistan's army.
October 27, 2016: Rifleman Sandeep Singh Rawat laid down his life while fighting infiltrating militants in Trangdhar sector of Kupwara district.
October 27, 2016: BSF head constable Jitendra Kumar was martyred during CFA violation in RS Pura and Arnia sectors along the International Border in Jammu district.
October 23, 2016: BSF jawan Sushil kumar was martyred during a ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the international border in RS Pura sector.
October 22, 2016: BSF jawan Gurnam Singh who was injured on October 20 was martyred.
October 16, 2016: Army sepoy Sudees Kumar was martyred due to sniper fire at a forward post in Balakote sector of J&K's Poonch district What is Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT)?
Pakistan's border action team (BAT) is a group of Special Forces with some highly trained terrorists specifically employed for trans-LoC action. In Pakistan, the SSG (special services group) forms the core of BAT. Its primary task is to dominate the LoC by carrying out disruptive actions in the form of surreptitious raids.
These raids are carried out after perfect planning and cautious scouting as well as high assurance of success.
Major districts of J&K vulnerable to ceasefire violations:
As reported by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, 590 villages having a population of 5,32,144 are located between 0-5 km from Line of Control (LC)/International Border (IB) in the five border districts of Jammu division - Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri. Of these, around 448 villages of the districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri are vulnerable to ceasefire violations.