Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 7: Army has foiled a Border Action Team (BAT) strike in Rampur sector of Uri as troops are on heightened alert along the Line of Control (LoC) after Special Forces conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said that during the night intervening October 6 and 7, Pakistani troops along with some highly trained militants made an attempt to carry out BAT strike against three Indian forward posts in Rampur sector of LoC in Uri area of Baramulla district.
They said that these posts are highly vulnerable as Pakistani posts are overlooking them from a hill in the sector. Army was already on high alert as they were apprehending that Pakistani troops may carry out revenge attack and target these three posts.
Army had already inputs about the strike in the area and they were ready for it. They had seen lot of movement of Pakistani troops in the sector for last few days.
Sources said that Army saw 15 Pakistani troops and militants crossing the LoC in forward area of Rampur sector during the night. The Army tracked them and as soon as they came in, Pakistani troops from four forward posts targeted Indian posts. They said that by firing they wanted to engage Army to facilitate BAT action against the three forward posts of army and give cover fire to them.
As the Army responded and fired back at Pakistani posts and infiltrating Pakistani troops and militants, Army saw 6 Pakistani troops or militants rushing inside one Pakistani post and 4 others rushing into other post and six others taking shelter under the boulders behind the bushes. The firing continued till first light yesterday morning from both the sides but these six Pakistani troops or militants failed to reach the Pakistani posts.
Last evening, Pakistani troops again targeted Indian posts and Army fired back at Pakistani posts in Rampur sector. As the firing started, army saw Pakistani troops or six militants trying to rush towards Pakistani posts. However, four managed to reach posts and two ducked and Army believed that those two were either badly injured or killed in Army firing.
Sources said that Pakistani troops are on high alert along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir after the surgical strikes.
Pakistani army chief, General Raheel Sharif visited Muzaffarabad based 10 Corps headquarters of Pakistan Army on Wednesday and on Thursday GOC 10 Corps of Pakistani army visited Chakoti near Uri to review the developments along the LoC.
In the meantime, army today continued massive searches in Nowgam sector of Kupwara after they foiled two infiltration attempts yesterday and killed four militants. Sources said that 6 militants had made an infiltration attempt at one place in the sector and two of them fled back to Pakistan and four were shot dead.
At other place, four militants who were crossing the LoC were challenged and they ran away and took shelter in a nearby Pakistani post. However, army’s search operation in the area is going on.
Militants tonight attacked a minority picket set up for the security of Kashmiri Pandits at Resh Nagri in South Kashmir’s Shopian district killing a policeman and injuring two others including a civilian.
Sources said that militants fired at the minority picket to snatch the weapons killing a police man Nazir Ahmad (588SPN) of village Ardpora in Kulgam district. A Special Police Officer (SPO), Zahoor Ahmad (108 SPN) and a civilian Puran Kumar son Vishwanath Kumar of Resh Nagri, who was sitting in the guard room, were injured.
They said that the police men opened fire after they were fired at. As they fired they thought the militants are either dead or have fled away but they were waiting outside and as they came out out militants opened fire on them.
Sources said that soon after the attack militants made an announcement from the address system of a Masjid asking people to remain indoors and not to come out as they are waiting for police and Army to come and they will carry out an attack.
However, the injured were rushed to the hospital by the locals where cop was declared dead and SPO and civilian are being treated for bullet wounds. The two injured are said to be out of danger.
Police and Army party rushed to the spot and conducted searches. However, militants had fled away.
The two injured were brought to 92-Base hospital Srinagar where their condition is stated to be stable.
A Police spokesman said here that some militants this evening fired upon the guard posted at a minority picket in Jamnagri, Shopian. “The alert policemen retaliated the fire. During this incident, three persons including two constables received injuries. The injured have been identified as Ct Nazir Ahmad No. 588/Spn, Ct Zahoor Ahmad No. 616/Spn and Puran Krishan Koul son of Badrinath resident of Jamnagri Shopian. The injured were rushed to District Hospital Shopian. Among them Ct Nazir Ahmad succumbed to his injuries. Ct Zahoor Ahmad and Puran Krishan have been referred to 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar for further treatment. Puran Krishan has got injury on his thigh and Ct Zahoor Ahmad has got injury in his leg. Both are stable”, he added.
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