Author: Our Staff Reporter
Publication: The Hindu
Date: May 20, 2003
URL: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/05/20/stories/2003052005910100.htm
In a gruesome act of reprisal against
the family of a security services personnel, militants belonging to the
Jaish-e-Mohammad beheaded six members, four women and two infants, in Chowikan
Kotedara village of Rajouri district last night. The militants stormed
the house of Mehboob Bhakerwal - whose one son is an armyman Wazir Mohammad
and the other, Khan Mohammad, a serving personnel in the Special Operations
Group of the State Police - and killed the family members present. The
men had gone out for the marriage of a relative in another village when
the militants struck.
The militants stormed the house
around 11 p.m. on Sunday and beheaded the six persons, including two infants,
Arshad Mohammad (4) and Maroof Ahmad (2). The four women include Khatun
Begum (60), Hanifa Begam (30), Jakra Begum (29) and Taj Begum (20). Well-placed
police sources told The Hindu that the inhuman killing of the four women
and the infants was a revenge taken for the killing of a Jaish-e-Mohammad
"divisional commander", Saifullah Shirazi, and his bodyguard, Qadir Khan
alias Billal, some days ago. Shirazi, a Pakistani national, was a top-ranking
militant active in the border belt for five years. He was killed in the
house of Mehboob Bhakerwal, where he had gone looking for Khan Mohammad,
a policeman.
Based on the information provided
by the family a combined operation of police and the Army was launched
on May 5 and after a seven-hour encounter the militant and his bodyguard
were eliminated.
The village is situated around 12
km. from the town and it took police several hours to reach the spot.
This is the second such militant
attack on the family of security services personnel under similar circumstances
in the last six months in the border belt.
The last was in Khawas village of
Rajouri district on December 23 last year when five Lashkar-e-Taiba militants
killed two members of a police constable's family.
The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed, condemned the attack and termed it an inhuman act.
He also expressed condolences with
the bereaved family.