NEW DELHI: It was around 3pm on March 20, 2000, when the serene landscape of Chittisinghpora was shattered by deafening sound of gunfire. The Valley was rattled with bursts of assault rifles as terrorists unleashed a hail of bullets on unsuspecting Sikh villagers. The afternoon calm was torn apart by the cries of the terrified and the dying, as the militants' bullets ripped through the village, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake.
The killers were clad in Army fatigues, which allowed them to blend in with security forces that patrolled the area, the disguise underlining the planning that had gone into the masscare. But the meticulousness did not stop at that. The killers had planned the mass killing to coincide with the arrival of the then US President Bill Clinton in Delhi and the mayhem fitted in with the plan of Pakistan to keep the global spotlight trained on J&K, as a potential flashpoint for a confrontation between two nuclear-armed hostile neighbours, in order to secure international mediation.
Killing of tourists during the presence of the US Veep J D Vance and, also, PM Modi's visit to Saudi immediately led many to draw parallels with the two rampages - the one on Tuesday coming against the backdrop of the success of Indian security forces against terrorists deployed by Pakistan in J&K as well as Islamabad's lament over its stale anti-India trope failing to resonate with global capitals, including the Islamic ones which before 2014 sympathised by the yarn spun by the hostile neighbour.
Tuesday's attack bore similarities, with militants deliberately targeting non-Muslims, verifying their identities before unleashing a barrage of gunfire from their assault rifles. Two-decades ago, Sikhs were identified by their turbans before they were rounded up to be lined up and sprayed with bullets. In all, 35 persons, including women & children, were slain. After the attack, the militants fled the scene, disappearing in the jungles.
The investigation had suggested the attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. In the aftermath of the attack, Army and security forces launched a series of operations to apprehend the perpetrators.
Despite the passage of time, the incident remains one of the most horrific acts of violence in the region's history.
The killers were clad in Army fatigues, which allowed them to blend in with security forces that patrolled the area, the disguise underlining the planning that had gone into the masscare. But the meticulousness did not stop at that. The killers had planned the mass killing to coincide with the arrival of the then US President Bill Clinton in Delhi and the mayhem fitted in with the plan of Pakistan to keep the global spotlight trained on J&K, as a potential flashpoint for a confrontation between two nuclear-armed hostile neighbours, in order to secure international mediation.
Killing of tourists during the presence of the US Veep J D Vance and, also, PM Modi's visit to Saudi immediately led many to draw parallels with the two rampages - the one on Tuesday coming against the backdrop of the success of Indian security forces against terrorists deployed by Pakistan in J&K as well as Islamabad's lament over its stale anti-India trope failing to resonate with global capitals, including the Islamic ones which before 2014 sympathised by the yarn spun by the hostile neighbour.
Tuesday's attack bore similarities, with militants deliberately targeting non-Muslims, verifying their identities before unleashing a barrage of gunfire from their assault rifles. Two-decades ago, Sikhs were identified by their turbans before they were rounded up to be lined up and sprayed with bullets. In all, 35 persons, including women & children, were slain. After the attack, the militants fled the scene, disappearing in the jungles.
The investigation had suggested the attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. In the aftermath of the attack, Army and security forces launched a series of operations to apprehend the perpetrators.
Despite the passage of time, the incident remains one of the most horrific acts of violence in the region's history.
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