Uri terror attack: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemns act

Early on Sunday morning, in one of the most devastating attacks on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, 17 Army personnel were killed and 20 left injured by four heavily armed terrorists who sneaked into the administrative buildings and store complex of an infantry battalion in Uri. This was the home the 12 Infantry Brigade, near the Line of Control (LoC).

The four terrorists were gunned down by Army personnel after a three-hour gunbattle, and a combing operation was underway. The Army said its initial findings suggested that the terrorists belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad and had come from across the LoC.

Army sources in J&K said, as per their assessment, the terrorists probably infiltrated in the last two days and familiarised themselves with the area through discreet reconnaissance.

A PTI report from Islamabad quoted Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa as saying that the DGMOs discussed the situation along the LoC over hotline. “Refuting the unfounded and premature Indian allegation, Pakistan DGMO asked his counterpart to share any actionable intelligence,” Radio Pakistan reported citing an ISPR release.

A senior Army officer posted in the area said the reason for the high casualties was the large number of soldiers present due to the turn-over of battalions and the tents catching fire, as the terrorists fired indiscriminately.