20 soldiers killed heavily armed militants deadliest attacked on military base. The militants set fire to one building before the four killed in a gunfight.
Heavily armed militants attacked a strategically important military base in north Kashmir’s Uri and killed 20 soldiers.
The worst single strike on the army in 26 years.
20 soldiers killed heavily armed militants deadliest attacked on military base.
Four militants confirmed killed after penetrating the base in Uri near the Line of Control with Pakistan.
The dawn raid surprised soldiers in their sleep; militants set fire to one building before the four killed in a gunfight.
Indian home minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to political and military leadership and instructed.
Senior officials to monitor the situation after cancelling planned trips to Russia and the United States.
The attack part of a fresh infiltration attempt from across the Line of Control, they added, to foment further unrest in the Valley.
That rocked by two months of violent protests that have killed 86 people and injured thousands.
The base housed troops stationed in temporary tents and shelters that caught fire in the encounter and caused the high number of casualties.
A statement released from the army northern command headquarters of Udhampur said.
“We salute the sacrifice of 17 soldiers who were martyred in the operation,” the statement read.
The blaze killed 12 soldiers and the rest died in the gunfight, sources added.
The attacks is likely to roil an already volatile Kashmir that army sources say scores of infiltration attempts.
Since protests broke out against the killing of insurgent leader Burhan Wani in July.
The government has repeatedly said that militants from across the border were instigating Kashmiris and were behind the current unrest in the Valley.
20 soldiers killed heavily armed militants deadliest attacked on military base.
The extremists sneaked into the camp in Uri at 5.30am and used guns and grenades to target soldiers, triggering a fierce gunbattle that raged on for hours.
The camp inhabited by soldiers who mostly guard the LoC.
The garrison can approached from the LoC from three sides.
One of which is just six kilometers away from the de-facto border with Pakistan.
Police sources said there were intelligence inputs regarding a possible attack.
Army sources said one battalion being moved after their tour of duty and another taking over.
With many soldiers staying in transit tents that caught fire in the initial stage of the encounter.
