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J-K: Militants kill 11 security men in Uri, more attacks in Srinagar, Shopian and Tral

Nation
Yusuf Jameel
5 Dec 2014 3:30 PM IST
3 attacks in less than 12 hours in the Valley
J-K: Militants kill 11 security men in Uri, more attacks in Srinagar, Shopian and Tral
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(Photo: ANI Twitter)

Srinagar: Eight Army jawans, including a lieutenant colonel, three Jammu and Kashmir policemen and six militants were killed on Friday, in one of the deadliest encounters witnessed in the valley in years. An ASI of the local police has been injured in the fighting.

Meanwhile, a militant was Friday killed in a brief gun battle with police in Srinagar’s Soura area. IGP (Kashmir range) Abdul Gani Mir said the militant was killed in retaliatory fire after gunmen attacked a police patrol party in the area, about 10-km north of the City centre Lal Chowk.

The fire fight occurred in Uri area close to the Line of Control after a group of heavily armed militants in a pre-dawn attack targeted Army's 32-Field Regiment base at Mohura, a heavily militarized area about 80 kilometres from here.

Corps of Army issued a statement stating, “A group of heavily armed and well equipped terrorists opened fire at the Mohura Army camp using automatic weapons at around 3 am. Army troops in the camp retaliated to the firing.”

Read: 'Militant attack on Army desperate attempt to disrupt peace' says J&K CM Omar Abdullah

The statement read that the troops from the neighbouring camps immediately mobilized their quick response teams (QRT) and rushed them to the spot. After hours of exchange of fire, all 6 militants were killed.

The statement further read, “The encounter between the Army and the group of terrorists which commenced in the early hours of Friday lasted for over six hours. During the initial period of operation, one of the terrorists started firing at the vehicles of the QRTs rushing to the site, following which one Maruti Gypsy overturned, leading to casualties of the security forces. The terrorist was immediately killed and his body has been recovered.” During the operation, an army barrack also caught fire, presumably because of a kerosene heater toppled.

The operations continued relentlessly and by 9.30 am, all terrorists were eliminated. During the deliberate clearing up operations, which commenced thereafter, the bodies of 5 more terrorists were recovered, raising the total number of terrorists killed to 6.

Army said, "During the intense operations, one officer and 7 soldiers of the Army, 1 ASI and 2 constables of the state police also died. Six AK rifles with 55 magazines, two shotguns, 2 Night Vision Binoculars, 4 Radio Sets, 32 unused grenades, 1 Medical Kit and a large quantity of various warlike items have been recovered from the dead militants."

The operation is still on in the surrounding areas to search out for any terrorists who may be hiding or attempting to escape.

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Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, termed the attack which comes just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on December 8 to address elections rallies as a 'desperate attempt' to disrupt peace and normalcy.

Abdullah took to twitter and said that militants were disrupting peace in the valley amidst elections.

“Once again shows the desperate levels militants will go to disrupt peace and normalcy." In an earlier tweet, he said, “Militants have struck an Army camp in North Kashmir between Baramulla and Uri. Security force casualties are feared. It's an ongoing encounter.”

Army officials said that the militants who had divided themselves into two groups attacked the Army camp at 3.10 am, initially with small arms and then also used Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGLs). They added that while some militants tried to enter the camp, their accomplices laid an ambush to block the way of Army reinforcements from relocating to the area but were soon engaged in gun battles at both places. Police sources, however, said that at least three militants had actually entered the camp after killing four soldiers on the road outside. Asked if it was a ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) attack, an officer of Army 19 Infantry Division said on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to talk to media “It looks it was like that.” He also said that two Army barracks inside the camp caught fire during the fighting.

Among the dead is Lt. Col. Sankalp Kumar of 24-Punjab Regiment, sources said.

The LoC is hardly 35 kilometres from the place where the militants struck in big way. The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and the trade between two parts of Kashmir are carried out through this point of LoC in Kashmir Valley.

( Source : dc )
Yusuf Jameel
About the AuthorYusuf Jameel

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