Okay Time for a real story then. Written by Lt Col Fahd Ayub Published in Hilal Magazine. Showing the loyal, trustworthy side of FC and how young captain led a brave counterattack
Defending Dandi Katch checkpost in N. Waziristan
The account of a terrorists' attack on a Frontier Corps Post on Sep 16, 2014. The terrorists came from across the border, used Afghan soil, formed up and attacked this post located on Pak-Afghan border in North Waziristan Sector. The brave Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers fought valiantly and killed many attackers. The attack was repulsed and terrorists again fled to the safe havens inside Afghanistan.
F.C. Post Dandi Katch Map - Pakistan - Mapcarta
Surrounded by high and rugged mountains of 'Koh-e-Sufaid Range,' Dandi Katch is a complex of posts on Pak-Afghan border guarding the entrance of road Dandi Katch–Spinwam through the Kaithu Valley and further leads to settled areas of Bannu and Thal. While 'Zinda' and 'Zangi' posts are located on high ridges on the shoulders of Kaithu River, 'Base Check Post' is low lying astride river on the road to check and process any movement across the border. The weather is extreme in both the seasons on these barren mountains including the valley comprising remote areas of Tehsil Spinwam, North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
On the night of September 16, 2014, these posts were being manned by troops of fearless '124 Wing Tochi Scouts (Frontier Corps).' I was commanding the wing on that night. A smart and brave officer from Sindh province, Captain Zahid Ali, was the Company Commander and was present at Zinda Post.
His men belonged to diverse tribes of FATA. A battery of medium artillery guns was also deployed at the near vicinity to provide fire support. On September 16, 2014, more than 500 terrorists, using safe havens inside Afghanistan, launched an unprecedented, determined and fierce physical attack on all three posts of Dandi Katch from multiple directions. I was immediately informed about the attack. Upon receiving the information, I contacted Captain Zahid and issued necessary instructions. I also ordered the Gun Position Officer (GPO), Captain Afzaal to engage targets with artillery fire in support of the posts under attack. I positioned myself in the Command Post and got in touch with superior headquarters as well as my troops and passed on necessary instructions. After few minutes, I was contacted by Captain Zahid, who in his confident voice on wireless set told me, “Terrorists have ringed my position and we are receiving heavy mortar and rocket fire from southwestern direction from the Elongated Ridge. But we are well positioned and will defend each inch of Pakistan.”
As a Commanding Officer, I was much satisfied with the confidence level of my under command. I told him to stay resolute and keep the enemy off the post area. As soon as the rounds of artillery guns were fired upon the enemy, they reacted back and started firing with long range weapons. I heard the dreadful whistle of 107 mm rockets normally used for long range attacks. The enemy had started to target the Fort and the gun position with rockets. I instructed Captain Afzaal to ensure unhindered fire support to Dandi Katch and use different caliber of guns to engage probable rocket launch sites. I wonder who provides the terrorists with these long range sophisticated weapons normally used by armies.
The terrorists attacked in waves on Zinda Post and partially destroyed the Observation Post (OP) and the bunker on southwestern edge. Lance Naik Abid, Lance Naik Hameed Akbar Khattak, Sepoy Jan Mohmand, and Sepoy Sajid Muhammad Bangash had already embraced Shahadat on Zinda Post. At this stage, Captain Zahid Ali launched a local counter attack, evicted the terrorists and regained the defence of the post. Meanwhile, Sepoy Rehman Ali Yousafzai embraced Shahadat while providing fire support to the counter attacking force with his automatic gun. A suicide bomber exploded 50 metres short of bunker on northern perimeter as he got entangled in the wire obstacles and Naib Subedar Said Nabi fired at him from close range.
This JCO was also assisting us by directing the artillery fire and providing timely and accurate information which proved very useful in effectively neutralizing terrorists’ hiding in the folds of the ground. Captain Afzaal from 28 Medium Regiment (Artillery), engaged these locations using air burst rounds and forced them to quit their endeavours. The rocket site was eventually neutralized that took pressure off from the gun position.
The progress of attack on Zangi Post was stalled by 03.00 a.m. in the morning but the volume of fire from enemy was still intense. The combination of well-orchestrated automatic fire from all nearby posts and accurate artillery fire finally broke the will of attackers on Base Check Post and Zangi Post by 3:45 a.m. allowing them to provide close fire support to Zinda Post which was still under attack. The terrorists wanted to capture the post at all costs as a last desperate effort to gain some notion of victory.
Failing, they started the withdrawal at around 4:30 a.m. towards Zakir Khel, a border village of Afghanistan suffering heavy casualties; but dragging their dead with them. During the mopping up activity with combat aviation support after the dawn, three dead bodies of the terrorists were found, one Afghan terrorist was captured alive but he was seriously injured and could not survive.
Three AK-47 rifles, six grenades, eight magazines, two wireless sets and a night vision device (all foreign made equipment) were also recovered. Two days later, a wing from Tochi Scouts along with two infantry battalions conducted the clearance operation of Datta Khel village, where a local terrorist commander Amir Khatim, who had participated in the attack, also resided. He had fled to Afghanistan after the attack, however, huge cache of arms, explosives and ammunition was recovered from his residence.
The brave soldiers of 124 Wing Tochi Scouts carried out successful defence of the motherland in line with traditions of FC KPK. These brave sons of soil, night after night, and month after month stand vigilant to guard all the outposts in FATA and along Pak-Afghan international border; often under extremely challenging conditions. Availability of sanctuaries and safe havens in border region of Afghanistan can continue to feed and fuel attacks on Pakistan. The Shahadat of soldiers saddens me as each one leaves behind an untold personal story; but September 16, 2014 will be remembered as a proud day in the history of FC KPK, and, for the brave sons of Tochi Scouts who taught enemies of Pakistan, a lesson they will never forget!
ISPR Hilal Magazine - TERROR FROM ACROSS THE BORDER DEFENDING DANDI KATCH
