Indian army colonel killed in Kashmir fighting

[W.G.Ewald]

An Indian army colonel was among four people killed in a gunbattle with militants in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday, police said, the highest ranking military officer to die in fighting in the disputed Himalayan region in more than a year.

The colonel was leading an operation against suspected separatist militants in a village in south Kashmir's Pulwama district when he came under fire.


A policemen and two militants were also killed in the encounter, police superintendent Tahir Saleem said.

Indian army colonel killed in Kashmir fighting - Breaking News - Jerusalem Post

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Indian army colonel killed in Kashmir fighting – The Express Tribune

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Day After Winning Gallantry Award, Army Officer Dies Fighting Terrorists

 

[Otm Shank2]

Thank you to his Family for their sacrifice and RIP to and Jai Hind thanks to this brave Jawan.

 

[Redhawk]

Day After Winning Gallantry Award, Army Officer Dies Fighting Terrorists

They died performing their duty. May they rest easy and deepest sympathy to their families.

I'm pleased to read that the two terrorists who killed Head Constable Sanjeev Kumar and Col. M. N. Rai were themselves killed by the remaining members of the QRT-SOG detachment.

 

[Ankit Purohit]

RIP to Brave Hearts .

 

[Glint]

Another soul lost because of some morons dream to conquer Kashmir. RIP

 

[AnantS]

Terrorists' relatives asked Colonel Rai to cease fire, then killed him

Army on Wednesday paid glowing tributes to Colonel M N Rai, who died fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir, recalling his efforts to reach out to youths in the militancy-hit region and said such sacrifice only strengthens its resolve to fight elements inimical to peace.

"Col Rai always led from the front in multiple operations that he carried out in 2014 and also in 2015. He combined bravery with compassion and people in Tral knew him very well for his several initiatives," General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha told media persons after the wreath laying ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.

"The supreme sacrifice of the brave men only strengthens our resolve to fight all elements inimical to security of Kashmir," he said as friends and colleagues recalled the contribution of Rai, one of the senior-most officers to be killed in last one year.

Rai, 39, commanding officer of 42 Rashtriya Rifles, and head constable Sanjeev Kumar Singh Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed during the encounter in Tral in Pulawama district yesterday, in which two militants were also gunned down.

Saha said once the house where the militants were hiding was cordoned off, the father and brother of one of the terrorists approached Rai claiming that the ultra wanted to surrender. But even as Rai gave them an opportunity to do so, the militants came out of the house firing indiscriminately leading to the gunbattle.

The officer's swift actions prevented many civilian casualties during the operation, Saha said and noted that Rai had taken "a number of initiatives for the positive engagement of youth like organising cricket and football tournaments".

"Clearly under his leadership, we could say that the narrative in Tral was changing. He earned the admiration of all the administration for his meticulous planning and we have seen how Tral turned out to vote," Lt Gen Saha said.

Rai was conferred the Yudh Seva medal on the eve of Republic Day for outstanding contribution in planning and conduct of operations including a gun battle with militants in south Kashmir last year.

Saha said the security in the Kashmir Valley was being ensured with a "colossal effort" by the army and added it was a collective responsibility of all the concerned agencies to keep the local youth away from militancy.

To another question about casualties among high-ranked officers of the army during the anti-militancy encounters, Lt Gen Saha said it was because Indian army officers always led from the front.

"Clearly because traditionally and as per our ethos, Indian army officers always led from the front and it is a matter of pride for us that we have officers of such calibre and such commitment who, even at the rank of the commanding officer, very senior rank, chose to fight from the front with their men at all times," he said.

Saha also said the army would always give an opportunity to the militants to surrender wherever such a situation comes up.

"We have been giving this opportunity wherever the parents or relations do come up to try and say that they would like to ask their son or relation to surrender. So in all fairness, we try to give them this opportunity and I would not try to add any further motives to that," he said.

Praising Rai, Saha said, "he was always in the frontline, leading his men to deliver exceedingly well. Even in the operation yesterday, soon after the cordon was established, the commanding officer was in-charge right in the front when he was approached by the father of one of the slain terrorist that his son would like to surrender.
"He asked him to go ahead and get him to surrender. At the same time, the terrorist's brother also approached and under these circumstances, both militants rushed out of the house that they were hiding in and fired rampantly," he said.
The army commander said it was to the credit of the very quick response and very quick thinking of Col Rai that he retaliated immediately and in a very brief and intense gunbattle, the two militants were killed.

"If it were not for his quick response, quite clearly, there could have been causalities on the civilians who were there in the vicinity along with his brother and others.

"So, it is the very swift response of Col Rai and the men under his command, that the terrorists -- one of them a district commander and the other one quite a young recruit -- both were eliminated," he said.

He said pro-active actions are being taken by the army to ensure that the security conditions remain stable and to ensure that the mandate which has been given by the people comes in a situation of high security stability.

"I have always maintained the way to keep the local youth away from militancy is to have them proactively engaged, to have them positively engaged.

"You are perhaps aware of the number of initiatives taken, especially sports activities, to keep them positively and proactively engaged but really it is a collective responsibility and every agency has to come together to be sure that the youth do not stray into the ranks of militancy," he said.

Saha said the families of both Col Rai and head constable Singh "were uppermost our prayers today. We stand by them in this hour of grief and all times to come."

Col Rai's body is being flown to Delhi and it will be kept at the Delhi cantonment crematorium.

His last rites will take place on Thursday. Top officers of the army and other security agencies were present here to pay tributes to the slain officer.

Col Rai, a native of Ghazipur area of Uttar Pradesh, is survived by wife, a son and two daughters.

The army commander said the primary reason in spurt in the number of encounters recently has been that the army has been pro-active to ensure that the security situation remains stable

"If you see in south Kashmir, seven terrorist were eliminated -- five earlier in the area of Shopian and two here (in Tral) and in north Kashmir three of them in and around Sopore and in addition to these ten terrorists eliminated, two others were also apprehended from different places.

"If you see the figures, in one month, it is little on the higher side as it appears, but if you were to compare it with last year particularly when 101 terrorists were eliminated and 45 others apprehended, so really speaking the figures average out to be more or less same and in that sense yes the security is being ensured at a colossal effort of the army," he said.

Asked whether the reason for more encounters in south Kashmir was because the militants had shifted their base from north Kashmir, the army commander said though there has been a decrease in such incidents in north, it can't be said that the ultras had vacated their base from one place and settled at the other.

"Most of the encounters in north Kashmir have been during the counter-infiltration process, while in south, they have happened in the hinterland. We cannot say that they (militants) have vacated one base for the other, but if you see it from the point of view of the numbers, then there is less in north and more in south," he said.

 

[rock127]

RIP Indian Soldiers.

They fought like a REAL soldier and martyred like a soldier.They get recognition,respect and admiration from the whole country.

On the other hand Pakistani Soldiers(terrorists) fight like cowards and die like pigs on enemy soil.Their own country doesn't want to recognize them and can't even get proper cremation on their own land.How shameful is being a Paki.Indians have to read "Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi Raaji'oon" for them.

 

[Tony HMG]

''Terrorists' relatives asked Colonel Rai to cease fire, then killed him''

What the hell ?? Why do the army officers need to trust these anti Indian kashmiri muslim scums????? I dont get it, after 30 years of protecting & hiding the paki terrorists, why dont we just blow these kashmiri muslims to shreds.

RIP my dear brothers.

Is there a count of lives our army has lost to this un ending terrorism from -----stan? I wish the TTP nukes pakistan someday.

 

[ezsasa]

"होगा की नहीं होगा, होके ही रहेगा"

 

[Adux]

I have nothing else to say to this brave little daughter of Colonel Rai, other than that we will kill all the terrorist and we will forcefully make the fascist islamist of Kashmir to change to secular people. If not tomorrow, then some day, very near in the future, in her lifetime.

Vengeance will be hers

Colonel M.N Rai, has a daughter who he can proudly be sure will carry his family name to further heights


Share this, let everyone know her sacrifice

 

[sayareakd]

RIP brave one........

 

[SajeevJino]

.

RIP Colonel

 

[angeldude13]

RIP Colonel and Sanjeev Singh.

My condolences to the family.

 

[iNDiAN.96]

RIP Brave Colonel.

May god give all the strength to the family.

 

[Adux]

Geelani has described the militants as 'martyrs'. Nationalists are complaining, but the same nationalists were supporting free speech in Paris ... so why can't they support free speech for Geelani?

Hurriyat leader Ali Shah Geelani calls terrorists who were killed in J&K encounter 'martyrs' - The Economic Times

---- you, little mother ----er... There is no free speech, when it comes to honor of the people who have laid their lives for their country. A tangible entity. Not when it comes to some intangible allah, or his pedo insecure liar of a messanger

 

[Adux]

Geelani has described the militants as 'martyrs'. Nationalists are complaining, but the same nationalists were supporting free speech in Paris ... so why can't they support free speech for Geelani?

Hurriyat leader Ali Shah Geelani calls terrorists who were killed in J&K encounter 'martyrs' - The Economic Times

Cant believe you are being tolerated here, that itself is free speech, But you are one little twit, who I want to put my fist into. Where are the ef is the mods?

Are we going to let anti nationals and pakis/chinese troll on a thread like this?

Is this Indian Defense Forum?

What the ----!

 

[ladder]

Geelani has described the militants as 'martyrs'. Nationalists are complaining, but the same nationalists were supporting free speech in Paris ... so why can't they support free speech for Geelani?

Hurriyat leader Ali Shah Geelani calls terrorists who were killed in J&K encounter 'martyrs' - The Economic Times

They are supporting free speech, soon his speech will be free of words. And GoI will have nothing to do with it. Let him enjoy till nature supports his speech.

Last time he used his free speech to call for poll boycott, record number of people participated. Hope his free speech this time too has similar kind of effect.

 

[pkroyal]

RIP Colonel MN Rai & Constable Sanjeev Kumar.

The treacherous father & brother of the slain terrorist are still alive ?? ( was it a bait ??)

What is happening ??

String the M----r F-----s by their gonads & let the likes of traitor Geelani cry for them.

Third day ritual (teesra) of the brave heart Colonel are not yet over & WE HAVE THE LIKES OF SHABBIR SHAH & GEELANI giving statements against India.

Our forces have shed enough blood for upholding the forces values & ethos & of course the Sovereignty of our Nation.Central Govt & BJP politicians now need to walk the talk and arrest these two seditious jokers for fanning anti National sentiments.

If the Govt is not up to it , should the Fauj take them on ( overt or covert) ?? so that our martyrs don't die in vain.