- Storm army camp in Uri, kill 8 soldiers, 3 cops
- 2 killed in Ahmad Nagar shoot-out
- 1 killed, 26 civilians injured in Tral grenade attack
- Grenade attack on Shopian police station
SRINAGAR: Two days ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Srinagar, militants Friday launched series of attacks which resulted in the death of 20 persons including 11 security personnel at various places in the Kashmir valley.
Two of the attacks took place in Uri in north and Tral in south Kashmir, where voting will take place on Tuesday in third phase of staggered polling that ends this month.
17 persons in total, eight soldiers, including an officer, and three policemen, were killed in the pre-dawn raid after militants sneaked into the army artillery camp in Mohura. Six militants were also killed in the ensuing gunbattle that lasted nearly six hours.
Defence sources said that a group of six Fidayeen stormed the base of 31 Artillery regiment at Mohra in Uri along National Highway at 3 am. In the initial assault, two army soldiers were killed and the militants made their way inside the base and took shelter in bunkers, they said.
Following the attack, the army troops inside the base took up positions. Initially, there was panic as they were not able to locate the exact location of the militants, the defence sources said, adding: there was firing between the two sides.
Sources said in the meanwhile, a police party led by a Station House Officer, Uri, Lateef Durani, rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. The militants also fired on the police vehicle resulting in the killing of three policemen including an officer and injuries to two others. The vehicles also overturned, they said.
Though there was lull till 8:45 in the fog engulfed morning heavy firing resumed soon afterwards, said the sources .
Additional contingents of army and polices Special Operation Group including units of Para-troopers, Territorial Army (TA) and Rashtriya Rifles (RR) rushed to the fighting site and cordoned off the entire area. The helicopters were also pressed into service, sources said.
In the heavy exchange of fire that lasted till 2:45 p.m, twelve persons were killed including six more army men and six Fidayeen attackers. The bodies of the attackers were retrieved at around 3 p.m, the sources said.
Defence sources said there were multiple explosions inside the base which house tanks and other artillery weapons. An army spokesman said in a statement that during the operation, a barrack also caught fire, presumably because of a kerosene heater toppling, in which some soldiers got trapped.
The authorities had closed Uri-Baramulla road and sealed a vast area.
Soon after the exchange of fire stopped, the armys 4 Para conducted bunker-to-bunker searches in the base.
The slain army men were identified by sources as Lt Colonel Sankalap Singh of 24 Punjab Regiment, Naik Gurmit Singh of 24 Punjab Regiment, Havaldar Subhash of 24 Regiment, Naik Pana Lal Yadav of 31Artillery Regiment, Lance Naik Sukhwindar Singh of 31 Artillery Regiment, Rifleman Satnam Singh of 31 Artillery Regiment, Rifleman Manpreet Singh of 31 Artillery Regiment and Sipahi Kuldeep Kumar of 31 Artillery Regiment.
Several other security forces have also been injured in the attack.
The three deceased policemen were identified as ASI Muhammad Akbar Lone of Tappar Pattan, Constable Sanjay Kumar of Jammu and Head Constable Abdul Majid resident of Lolipora Pattan.
Army claimed to have recovered 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 miscellaneous warlike stores from the possession of the slain militants.
In another encounter in Soura quarter of Srinagar, one militant was killed by the CRPF.
Police said, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Qari Israr was killed when he was trying to enter into the area.
Giving details of the incident, police said that militants, two in number, were travelling in a private vehicle near Ahmad Nagar when they were intercepted. Police said the vehicle was chased when it didnt stop near the Police check point. Later a gun battle erupted between militants and police that resulted in the killing of two militants. Police has termed it a big success.
In the third attack on the day, a grenade was thrown inside the Shopian police station. No injuries were reported in the incident.
The fourth attack took place when a grenade was thrown near a bus stand in Tral in Pulwama at a crowd that was returning after offering congregational Friday prayers.
Around 26 persons were injured leaving four in a critical condition.
The injured were shifted to various Srinagar hospitals.However one of the critically injured person Ghulam Hassan Gojar, 51, died on way to hospital.
Since last few days, the militants have stepped up attacks in the state targeting government forces. On November 27, the Fidayeen attackers launched attack in Arnia sector of Jammu killing five civilians and three army men.
On November 29, the suspected militants lobbed a grenade towards CRPF bunker in Lal Chowk injuring several people including a CRPF officer. The attack followed killing and injuring of two Sarpanchs in Shopian district of south Kashmir. On Wednesday, militants attacked forces with grenades and firing in Pulwama town resulting in death of a CRPF officer and injuries to several forces men and three civilians.
On Thursday evening, suspected militants lobbed a grenade on the close relative of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Member of Parliament, Tariq Hamid Karra, in Batamaloo area of Srinagar. The Fidayeen attack in Kashmir Division took place after a gap of 19 months.
‘Desperate attempt’
In Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condemned the terror attacks in Kashmir, saying these are “desperate attempts” to derail the atmosphere of hope created by the increased voter turnout and saluted the soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation.
“Attacks in J&K are condemnable. They are desperate attempts to derail the atmosphere of hope & goodwill as seen by increased voter turnout,” Modi tweeted as militants struck at various places across Kashmir.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said, “It is possible that this has happened because of elections… We will eliminate the remaining militants who are trapped.”
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the attack was a “desperate attempt” to disrupt peace and normalcy.
“Once again shows the desperate levels militants will go to disrupt peace and normalcy,” Abdullah posted on Twitter.
The attack comes just four days ahead of assembly elections in Uri and six other constituencies of the Baramulla district on December 9.
On December 2, the army had foiled an infiltration bid in Handwara area of Kupwara district killing six militants. One army personnel was also killed.
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