TARN TARAN: The special security forces operation to push militants from the river line belt along the Beas and Sutlej rivers known as the *Mand, has so far resulted in the killing of 35 militants.

The operation involving the security force of Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Tam Taran police districts entered the 14th day on Tuesday with as many as eight militants being shot dead in one day. During this period a number of militant hide outs in the Saranda (elephantine) grass growing on the small island at the continuance of the two rivers near Harley town of Tam Taran police district had also been uprooted.

Disclosing this to newsmen here, the Tam Taran police district senior super intendant of police (SSF) Ajit Singh Sandhu said that the operation had so far been limited to a 20 kms area around the swampy Mand.

Giving details, Sandhu said that in the course of this operation, in Which motor-boats belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) were used, the most hit group was the Manochahal faction of the Bhindranwale Tigers Force (BTF), Nine militants of this group, including two of its deputy chiefs Swaran Singh, alias Samma and his successor, Palwinder Singh were shot dead.

While Swaran Singh was killed, Palwinder Singh was shot dead near Gaggarwal village on the periphery of the Mand and three more militants of this group were {gunned down at Bhangali village while trying to break through the outer cordon of the security forces and the Army which had laid a siege in the sarkanda,

Sandhu said that Palwinder Singh, who had been operating in Ferozepur district, was found by the police of that district and ultimately killed in Tarn Taran district along with three associates.

Elaborating further on what he described as a well-coordinated day and night operation, Sandhu said that it was only on July 1 that a security force party descended on the area between Jalalabad and Bottle Kerian villages in Tam Taran police district.

The security forces encountered five militants belonging to the Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) all five of whom were killed in a three-day operation, he added.

He said this was followed by another combing operation in the Marar, Buh and Karmowal sections of the treacherous Mand among snakes and other reptiles and mosquitoes.

During the night, para-bombs and powerful dragon lights were used, he added,

The SSP said the basic motive behind this operation was to prevent the militants from reestablishing their hideouts on the gatis or small islands, which had been cleared in August 1989. Subsequently, the area with its thick growth of sarkanda, which had at one time considered out of bounds for the security forces had been put under the unified command of the BSF which besides Patrolling the area by boat and on foot, had also set up command posts at a number of gat.

Sandhu said the gat where the militants hideous were discovered were those outside the jurisdiction the BSF and mostly on the Tam Taran side of the Mand. He said the militants kept a sufficient supply of weapons, food items and medicines at these places.

He said during the course of the operation, it had been discovered that the militants normally took shelter at the tubewells located in areas from where the sarkanda had been cut and was being cultivated.

However, they had spotters stationed in the villages along the periphery of the Mand who would inform them well in advance regarding the movement of the police in the area.

During one such incident, he said an alert spotter at Dhun village one night passed on information to the security forces with the help of a torch and as a result the militants quickly took shelter in the 12 feet high elephantine grass.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992