SRINAGAR, India - In what has been described as a ‘shoot and scoot’ strike by terrorists in India’s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army managed to kill two of the terrorists involved, while losing one of its soldiers.
The battle ensued after a group of unspecified militants attacked an Indian Army camp resulting in a violent gun battle in India’s Baramulla city.
Reports pointed out that a sentry of 40th battalion of the Border Security Force spotted suspicious movement and opened fire apprehending that terrorists may have entered into the camp. “The firing led to panic in adjacent Army camp where troops of 46 Rashtriya Rifles also started firing,” it was pointed out.
Senior para-military officials said that the terrorists carried out a ‘shoot and scoot’ strike that led to the death of one Indian paramilitary soldier and left another soldier injured while two militants were killed.
The battle drew to a close in the early hours of Monday.
The attack by the militants, took place in Baramulla, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Srinagar and lasted three hours.
Indian police officer Hussein was quoted in reports as saying that the militants in the latest attack in Baramulla has escaped. "They fled under the cover of darkness," he reportedly said.
The militants have been suspected of reaching the base through boats. In order to investigate further, India summoned its 4 Para special forces unit in to Baramulla.
The attack came in the wake of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and was a much anticipated strike after the Indian Army claimed multiple ‘surgical strikes’ across the Line of Control (LoC) in the state to prevent Pakistani terrorists who had "positioned themselves at launch pads with the aim to carry out strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other metros.”
The surgical strike were launched by India after an attack on an army base in Uri in Jammu & Kashmir left 18 soldiers dead.
Tensions in the heavily militarised Kashmir region were already high as civilians in the region had been protesting the killing of a young, militant leader by the Indian Army.
New Delhi pointed fingers at Islamabad for inflaming the Kashmir protests and India further accused its long-standing rival of sending armed militants into India-controlled Kashmir.
The accusation was outrightly denied by Pakistan as it demanded India to present evidence to substantiate its claims.
Pakistan also said that it has captured an Indian soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles, killing several others in crossfire.
The Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar meanwhile argued, “He had crossed over, which happens in border areas. There is a well established mechanism through Director General of Military Operations which has been activated.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is said to have summoned an urgent meeting with the leaders of all leading political parties to discuss the ongoing clashes.
Sharif’s aide and lawmaker Talal Chaudhry said on a Pakistani TV channel, “Our aim is to bring all political parties on one page. We want to send a message to the world that we’re one against any threat to the country, irrespective of our political differences.”
Kashmir has been a bone of contention for both Nuclear-equipped neighbours, India and Pakistan ever since British colonists left the subcontinent in 1947.
The countries have so far fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region, with each country claiming its inherent share of the region.
0 comments:
Post a Comment