Army-friendly residents fear militants’ backlash 
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Hill Kaka-Surankote, May 5
They fear for their lives because they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Army to abolish the rein of terror that was being unleashed by various hardcore militants operative in the area.
Residents of this infamous area, known for Army’s operation Sarap Vinash launched to eliminate around 150 militants active in the area in 2003, are now a worried lot as they fear that their role in helping the Army to eliminate the ‘terrorists’ would have serious repercussion on them as the Army slowly phasing out its strength from the area.
The residents, who played a vital role in making this military expedition a success, were now accusing the Indian government of playing ‘use and throw policy’ with them by re-locating troops.
The residents here fear that as they moved shoulder-to-shoulder with the Army in operation Sarap Vanash to fight militants from the front and now that the Army is moving from the area, they will become sitting ducks on fire, as the militants will easily target them.
In January 2003, the Army launched the operation in this area after it came to know about the presence of around 350 terrorists. The inputs had suggested that there were around 350 terrorists present in the area, majority of who belonged to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit.
The militants had been ruling the area and forcing the nomadic population here to follow their diktat out of fear or other considerations.
However, five years down the lane, the locals who helped the Army in achieving success in the operation, were now accusing the government for relocating troops from the area and leaving them to the mercy of the militants.
They further alleged that even as militant threat still looms large, the Indian government has moved out almost an entire company of troops from the area they fought hard to liberate from militant’s occupation.
“Even as we risked our lives during the operation Sarap Vanash, it gives us immense satisfaction that it was a success and the militants were flushed out from our land. But what pains us the most is that the Indian government indulged in the use and throw policy with us and have moved out most of the troops from here”, said a local VDC member asking not to be named for the fear that militants may kill him.
Reliable intelligence sources revealed that the Army has moved out almost a full company of the troops of the Surankote-based 16 RR from here.
The sources further said apprehensions of the locals were justified since less number of troops were present in the area.