New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked tough after the terror strike on an army camp in Uri, promising that those behind the “despicable and cowardly” attack would not go unpunished.Strongly denouncing the attack, the Prime Minister saluted the soldiers who were martyred and said their service to the nation will always be remembered.
“We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,” Mr Modi tweeted on the incident in which 17 soldiers were killed and 19 injured.
“We salute all those martyred in Uri. Their service to the nation will always be remembered. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said. Mr Modi said he has spoken to home minister Rajnath Singh and defence minister Manohar Parrikar on the situation in the wake of the terror attack.
Heavily-armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Army in North Kashmir’s Uri town in the wee hours on Sunday, killing 17 jawans and injuring 19 other personnel in the strike in which four ultras were neutralised.
Later in the day, defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, who cut short his visit to home state Goa was expected to reach here to take stock of the situation. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, senior officials of Army and paramilitary forces briefed home minister Rajnath Singh on the prevailing situation in the state following the attack.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh after postponing his visit to the US and Russia in the wake of the terror attack held an emergency meeting in Delhi with top officials including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, defence secretary G. Mohan Kumar to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag rushed to Uri to visit the encounter site and also review the situation with the local Army commanders and other authorities in the Valley.
The home minister in a statement termed Pakistan as a “terrorist state” that should be isolated, directed the security forces to mount an all-out offensive against terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also spoke to state Governor (NN Vohra) and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and issued instructions to the Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other senior MHA officers to closely monitor the situation.
Earlier, the home minister said in a series of tweets, “Keeping the situation of Jammu and Kashmir in mind and in the wake of the attack in Uri, I have postponed my visits to Russia and the US”.
Uri’s Army bases have been terror targets in the past. On December 5, 2014, six Pakistan-trained terrorists had attacked the 31 Field Ordinance Regiment base at Uri’s Mohura killing 8.
Attacks this year
There have been 90 infiltration attempts by terrorists until June 30 this year. In 2015, there were just 29 attempts during the same period.
September 10: A heavily-armed group of four Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists killed three cops, two soldiers and a civilian during a firefight that lasted three days.
September 7: Three soldiers were injured in an attack on an army convoy, in Kupwara district. Forces fought back and the militants fled.
August 18: An Army convoy was hit by Hizbul Mujahideen extremists. Two Army personnel and a policemen were killed - five other soldiers were injured.
June 25: At least eight CRPF personnel were killed in an ambush after militants opened fire at their bus in Pampore, Jammu-Kashmir. Two terrorists also died in the attack.
Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists opened fire at a BSF convoy at Bijbhera. Three security personnel were killed in the attack.
February 21: Three Special Forces members of the Indian Army lost their lives while trying to neutralise two terrorists who were holed up at Pampore’s Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Kashmir.
On January 2, two security personnel were killed when a group of heavily-armed terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station - an integral part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Four attackers were also killed.
