Karnataka native killed by rebels in South Sudan

Juba, Feb 20:An Indian national, Syed Farooq Basha, was shot dead by rebel fighters in South Sudan on Saturday, diplomatic sources have confirmed.

The incident occurred some 900 km from the South Sudan capital of Juba.

“Syed Farooq Basha was driving through the disputed region of Abyei, when he was shot dead in an attack that injured his driver. This is the first casualty of an Indian in the civil war, which began last year,” said a senior source at the Indian Embassy in Juba.

Mr. Basha, who hails from Gangavati in Koppal district of Karnataka, was employed with Omaski Sai Infrastructure Co Ltd., which is involved in drilling wells for water in the region.

“We have spoken to the family of Syed Farooq Basha and promised all help,” said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a social media post.

Disputed region

Abyei is an energy-rich region between Sudan and South Sudan which remains disputed. The identity of Mr. Basha’s killers is not yet known though reports suggest that he was targeted by one of the rebel groups.

Family members of Mr Basha took to Twitter and sought help from Ms.Swaraj in bringing his mortal remains back. The incident has brought to light the danger posed by the civil war and international conflicts in South Sudan.

India had launched “Operation Sankat Mochan” under the leadership of Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, in July 2016 to evacuate nationals caught in the escalating civil war. However only 154 persons chose to be evacuated; hundreds elected to remain as the civil war paused for a while.

A family member told The Hindu from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, that he was aware of the dangers involved but had handled it well over the last two years. “He had been staying there for more than two years and we knew of the risks.