M S Nazki
Funny how some things work out. I mean, how many pairs of eyes do you look into in a lifetime – hundreds, maybe even thousands? Yet, only one pair of eyes means anything and everything. Who knows why? Tahir Fazal had those eyes!
The theme of the story may sound similar but characters in the story do not change!
Civilians, notably led by local figures like Tahir Fazal Chaudhary (“BahadureHill Kaka”), played a crucial role in Operation Sarp Vinash (2003) by providing actionable intelligence, logistics, and armed support to the Indian Army.
They helped destroy over 100 terrorist bunkers in the Hill Kaka region of Poonch, acting as guides in the rugged terrain and forming Village Defence Committees (VDCs) to fight against insurgents.
Key Aspects of Civilian Support at Hill Kaka
Intelligence Gathering: Local men, including those familiar with the terrain, assisted security forces in identifying hidden bunkers and the movements of foreign terrorists operating in the mountains.
VDC Formation: Civilians formed Village Defence Committees, which acted as a first line of defence in the remote, rugged areas of Surankote where regular force presence was challenging.
Logistics & Support: Locals provided essential support to the army, helping them navigate the dense forests and treacherous terrain of the Pir Panjal range.
Direct Engagement: Several civilians risked their lives, with some participating directly in the fight, leading to the neutralization of over 100 terrorists during the operation.
Crucial Role of Tahir Fazal: Tahir Fazal Chaudhary was widely recognized for his bravery and was instrumental in guiding the army’s efforts, often referred to as “BahadureHill Kaka”.
The operation was a testament to the partnership between the armed forces and the local population in defeating insurgency, with the army officially acknowledging the bravery of these civilians.
Paying of tribute:
Counter Insurgency Force (ROMEO) paid befitting tribute during the last rites of Fazal Tahir Chaudhary, son of Fazal Din, aged 62 years, resident of Murrah, Surankote Poonch District, UT of Jammu & Kashmir. He was key figure in Operation Sarp Vinash in 2003. He died at 1700 hrs on 22 Apr 2026 in Uttarakhand.
The mortal remains of Tahir Fazl were transported by road to his native Village Murrah late night at 2235h. The Indian Army organized his last prayers event by facilitating the presence of a large crowd which culminated post midnight.
Indian Army organized the solemn ceremony keeping in with the highest traditions. The event witnessed large attendance and the event was conducted meticulously.
Large number of people had gathered to pay tribute to the Hero of Op Sarp Vinash, a counter terrorism ops leading to eradication of terrorism in areas of Hill Kaka and Murrah.
Indian Army honoured the life and sacrifice of Tahir Fazal, brave son of soil, a man of extraordinary courage who stood resolute against terrorism during major operation in Pir Panjal region. He was symbol of courage and unity.
Indian Army lauded the sacrifices and efforts of Tahir Fazl and Gujjar Bakarwal community for always being in the forefront in CT ops. He lauded the assistance and efforts of the community in working hand in hand for a greater cause and bringing peace and normalcy in the most affected area of Surankote.
In the immediate aftermath of the sudden and untimely demise of Fazl Tahir the Army extended assistance in transporting the mortal remains to his place of residence, ensuring timely coordination, logistical support, and safe passage, thereby easing the burden during a moment of grief.
Army personnel rendered full support in conducting the last rites with due solemnity and honor. The troops respectfully shouldered the mortal remains, symbolizing solidarity to all who supports the National cause and shared humanity. Two min silence was observed in accordance with military customs, marking respect and dignity for the deceased. Wreathlaying ceremony was conducted on behalf of the Indian Army and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Local population of Murrah and Kulali have always supported the Romeo Force against the terrorism and played a key role in maintaining peace and security in the region.
People of Murrah and Kulali thanked the Indian Army for this support and gesture to the bereaved family of Tahir Fazl. True hero of Operation Sarp vinash laid down in silence, the entire poonch mourn in grief. A void that shall remain unfulfilled.
This was tragic but more incidents went unrecognized: Here is a small story that dates back to 1995 and it is about Shaheen! Whether she is alive or not I do not know! I was at point 997 and she regularly talked to me and gave information! The LOC was not fenced then! The family was thinking about moving to Nakial! I asked he why? The reply was……….Why are you worrying, I will stay here!………She did but when I moved away she was alone!……take me with you was her final call! I told her walk down to Manjakote…..I’m following! She was in Jammu but my problem was, ‘where to put her up’! I took her to my mother where accommodation was there! I told my mother the whole story! ‘She is our responsibility mom’! I had to go and she stayed with us! After three years she was married as per the Muslim customs to an engineer and today she is in Greece with her two daughters!……..Obviously better than Nakial!……….!
Anyway back to the story:
At Hill Kaka, in the Pir Panjal, the mountains close in. Valleys rise into ridgelines, footpaths dissolve into forests, and for months each winter, snow cuts off entire settlements from the rest of the world. A group of villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, near the Line of Control (LoC), the state once existed here as an afterthought. Villagers recall that even a burial shroud could take a day to arrive for want of road connectivity.
It was into this isolated landscape—shaped by both terrorism and state neglect—that Tahir Fazal returned from the Gulf. Not for work, but for war.
Fazal died on April 22 of heart failure. He was 62. He had been working as a marble mason in Saudi Arabia, part of a steady migration from the hills of Poonch. But in 2002, news reached him that his brother had been killed by terrorists, reportedly for resisting their influence and opposing their harassment of local women.
This correspondent first travelled to the region in 2014, nearly a decade after the war against terrorism had been won, but little had changed on the ground. Development remained absent, basic services were scarce, and longstanding grievances persisted amid what residents described as official indifference. For many, the Army remained the only accessible arm of the state—a situation that has not changed much even today.
The region is home largely to GujjarBakerwal and Pahari communities, with distinct linguistic and cultural traditions that set the Pir Panjal apart from the Kashmir Valley.
By the early 2000s, Hill Kaka had become a major terrorist stronghold. Armed groups—many believed to have crossed from across the LoC after the Kargil war—had built a network of bunkers across highaltitude ridges. Seasonal shepherd shelters, or dhoks, were turned into fortified hideouts. The forests became corridors for safe movement, and the mountains a natural shield.
The state’s presence was minimal. From the nearest motorable road at Kalali, reaching the village meant a daylong trek across steep trails and multiple crossings of icy streams.
There were no roads, no functional healthcare facilities, and little administrative presence. Terrorists moved with impunity—kidnapping, torturing, and killing civilians and enforcing their writ through fear.
Fazal returned to this vacuum. Driven by his brother’s killing, he would later recall tracking down and killing the terrorist he believed was responsible—an act that led to his entry into a wider resistance. Revenge, in his case, was not an endpoint. It was the beginning.
A militia takes shape
The rise of men like Fazal reflected a shift in India’s counterinsurgency strategy. In remote and rugged terrain where regular forces struggled to maintain a sustained presence, the state increasingly relied on arming civilians to defend their own communities.
Fazal joined other local men, including returnees from the Gulf, who began assisting security forces with intelligence and logistics.
These efforts took shape within the framework of Village Defence Committees (VDCs), later expanded to counter bettertrained, often foreign terrorists operating with support from across the LoC.
In the Pir Panjal, VDCs became a critical layer of defence. But the model also blurred the line between civilian and combatant, placing local communities at the centre of both resistance and risk.
Fazal went on to lead one of the largest VDCs in Jammu and Kashmir, with around 180 members, including women. His wife had also been trained to handle firearms as part of the village’s defence—a measure of how deeply the conflict had drawn entire families into its orbit.
Their role became particularly significant during Operation Sarp Vinash in 2003—a largescale offensive to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Hill Kaka. The operation involved multiple Army brigades, special forces units, and air support. Troops encountered a network of bunkers, some at altitudes above 3,500 metres.
The scale of the operation drew attention, but its outcome depended on local support. Villagers, special police officers, and VDC members had already mapped militant positions. The offensive was as much a culmination of grassroots intelligence as a display of military force.
The clearing of Hill Kaka was a turning point, but not a resolution. Villagers who had fled returned to find homes destroyed and lives upended. Relief was uneven, and allegations of corruption surfaced around compensation funds. Roads remained unbuilt, healthcare scarce, and educational access limited.
Hill Kaka and the surrounding villages remained cut off for months each year. Medical emergencies were dictated by distance; education beyond the middle level required journeys few could afford.
In 2022, after a spate of targeted killings, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs approved a new Village Defence Guards (VDG) scheme, replacing the earlier VDC structure. But for veterans like Fazal, the renewed focus came after years of neglect, without fully addressing earlier grievances.
An unsung fighter
Tahir Fazal’s life resists easy categorisation. He was not a soldier in the conventional sense, nor merely a victim of circumstance. He belonged to a generation that stepped into a vacuum—men and women who confronted violence and became part of a localised response to a larger conflict.
At his funeral in his native village of Murrah in Surankote tehsil, where he had moved from Hill Kaka during the conflict, Army personnel paid tribute. A White Knight Corps spokesperson described his “daring spirit, unwavering courage, and strong bond with the Indian Army”, adding that the force “stands steadfast with the bereaved family in this hour of grief”.
The uniform enhanced his athletic body, and my thoughts drifted to how magnificent he would look with his uniform puddled around his feet. And the uniform jacket he wore was so tattered and dirty that there could only be one reason he still had it. It must mean something to him, hold some particular importance. Authority is like a Uniform while power is the gun. You need power to enforce authority just like a policeman on the highway, he is authorized by the law but without gun, even children can make a mockery of him…………
Operation Sarp Vinash (Operation Destroy Serpents) was a successful 2003 Indian Army campaign, detailed by Wikipedia and analyzed in ThePrint, aimed at flushing out Pakistanibacked terrorists from the Hill Kaka region in Jammu’s Surankote area. The threeweek, multiagency offensive in AprilMay 2003 destroyed a massive fortified terrorist stronghold.
Key Details of Operation Sarp Vinash:
- Objective: To destroy a complex network of bunkers and hideouts established by terror outfits (LeT, JeM, HM) at high altitudes (above 3,500m) in the Pir Panjal range.
- Result: The Army eliminated at least 65 to over 80 terrorists, dismantled 95+ hideouts, and secured the area, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal and The Indian Express.
- Key Participant: Haji Tahir Fazal, a local SPO who played a vital role, recently passed away and was honored by the Indian Army, reports ANI News and The Indian Express.
- Significance: It was a rare, largescale direct attack that broke the back of militancy in the region.
The operation was notable for its meticulous planning and execution, involving multiple battalions, including Special Forces, as explained by DD India. The success was marked by the elimination of a substantial number of fighters, often cited as a turning point in fighting terror in Jammu’s hilly terrain!
Operation Sarp Vinash (Snake Destroyer), conducted in AprilMay 2003 in the Hilkaka area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Surankote (Poonch), was a landmark counterinsurgency offensive that turned the tide of terrorism by destroying a massive, entrenched “liberated zone” established by Pakistanbacked jihadist outfits. It demonstrated the efficacy of intelligencedriven military operations supported by modern technology, resulting in the elimination of over 60 terrorists and the dismantling of their infrastructure south of the Pir Panjal Range.
Here is how Operation Sarp Vinash turned the tide:
1. Destruction of a “Liberated Zone” (Hilkaka)
Before 2003, the rugged, highaltitude Hilkaka region had become a terrorist stronghold, often described as a “liberated zone” where security forces’ writ did not run.
Infrastructure Dismantled: The operation busted over 100 bunkers, some up to 60 feet deep, and destroyed over 119 hideouts.
Logistical Severing: Troops seized huge stocks of weapons, warlike stores, and roughly 7,000 kg of rations, indicating a longterm plan by terrorists to hold territory.
Area Cleared: The operation, led by Romeo Force and 9 ParaSF, cleared this strategic area, forcing the survivors back across the Line of Control (LoC).
2. HighTech Intelligence and Coordinated Assaults
Unlike previous “junglebashing” missions, Sarp Vinash was heavily reliant on intelligence, including UAV surveillance, which picked up footprints in the snow leading to the bunker complex.
Technology Utilization: The Army used helicopter gunships (MI17 and Cheetah) for surveillance and attacking bunkers at altitudes over 10,000 feet.
Special Forces Impact: Elite 9 ParaSF commandos were critical in launching precision attacks, while Rashtriya Rifles provided the surrounding cordon.
Key Casualty: The operation saw immense bravery, including that of Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri, who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra.
3. Shift in Local Dynamics and Civilian Support
The operation saw active, unprecedented intelligence support from local Gujjar and Bakarwal communities.
Civilian Participation: Local citizens helped map militant positions, having been intimidated by the presence of foreign terrorists in their summer pastures.
VDC Role: Village Defence Committees (VDCs) worked in tandem with the Army to secure the hinterland.
4. Strategic Impact on Terrorism in J&K
The success of Sarp Vinash had a lasting impact on the security situation:
Ending the “Turning Movement”: It disrupted a major Pakistan ISI plan to create a secure base for terrorists behind Indian defences in the PoonchRajouri sector, which was designed to facilitate a “turning movement” in the event of a war.
Ending the Myth of Invincibility: It shattered the illusion of a “liberated zone” in the hinterland and established the superiority of the Indian security forces.
Longterm Presence: Following the operation, the Army maintained a permanent presence in the area to ensure that terrorists could not regroup, a departure from earlier, fleeting operations.
The operation was deemed a significant victory, with Lt Gen Raman Dhawan stating it was “the beginning of the end of militancy in the two districts of Poonch and Rajouri”.
So to the final lines: I’ve been at this a long time. The good guys don’t always win. You take what you can get…Six months out of college and I was already questioning my occupational direction. Screenwriter? Actor? Director? Movie and television producer? What the hell was I thinking? Forty years ahead I found myself to be a writer after a swashbuckling innings in Olive Greens!………..!
