Freedom Fighters
Kashmiri freedom fighters settled their score with the Indian army Colonel Manpreet Singh who led the battalion that killed famous Kashmiri young leader Burhan Wani.
Colonel Manpreet Singh was the heading the Indian battalion that shot dead Burhan Wani in 2016. Wani was a popular Kashmiri leader and fighting against the illegally occupied Indian forces.
Colonel Manpreet Singh, who met his demise in a gunfight with Kashmiri fighters in Anantnag on Wednesday, was the commanding officer of the same military battalion that was involved in the operation against Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani in 2016.
According to India media, Manpreet Singh had served with the 19 Rashtriya Rifles for a span of five years. He spent his initial three years as the second-in-command when he held the rank of major, and the subsequent two years as the commanding officer.
Hindi and Bengali news outlets in India have asserted that Manpreet was honored with the Sena Medal for his role in eliminating Wani. Although he did receive the Sena Medal in 2021, any direct association with Wani’s death remained unconfirmed.
As per Tribune India, Manpreet was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry 17 years ago and was scheduled to retire in just four months, as reported by the Times of India.
Meanwhile, India Today has reported that the Kashmiri militant group Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the killing of Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashih Dhonchak, and DSP Humayun Bhatt.
The news outlet has stated that Resistance Front has cited this act as retaliation for the killing of their senior leader in Rawalakot in Pakistani Kashmir.
On September 8, a man named Riaz Ahmed was fatally shot inside a mosque. His relatives have asserted that Riaz, a father of nine children, was an ordinary Kashmiri who had relocated to Azad Kashmir several years ago to escape the alleged oppression by Indian forces in the occupied valley.
