Despite several terrorist attacks on army targets, India does not seem to have developed a cogent strategy of dealing with them. “Our defensive approach only serves to embolden the Pakistan army-ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) combine further”, another senior Indian official reportedly said.
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“Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing by small arms towards Indian positions in Uri sector this afternoon”, an army official said.
Hasina, who is now in NY to attend the 71st UN General Assembly, said she is deeply saddened to learn about the dastardly terrorist attack on the army base on September 18.
The operation was still on as five to six militants were believed to have been engaged in the heavy exchange of fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Pakistan is preparing to “forcefully” highlight the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir at the United Nations session, whereas India intends to counter Pakistan’s stance by raising the Balochistan issue, arguing that the Baloch are also seeking independence from Pakistan and deserve global support.
India also claimed that the four terror attackers who were gunned down during the gun fight that lasted for about two-and-a-half hours were foreigners.
They use separate paramilitary forces to guard their lower-altitude frontier, defined by coils of razor wire that snake across foothills marked by ancient villages, tangled bushes and fields of rice and corn.
Eighteen soldiers were killed and 30 injured when four terrorists attacked the administrative base camp of an infantry battalion in the highly fortified Uri town of Baramulla district on Sunday. A second infiltration bid in Nowgam was also foiled by the army – one terrorist was killed and soldier martyred in the encounter.
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The attack followed weeks of protests against Indian rule in Kashmir sparked by the killing of popular rebel leader Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting. A number of infiltrators were reported killed. While New Delhi, after blaming Pakistan for the attack, said it will keep all its options open for response, Islamabad alleged that India is trying to divert world attention from the “grim tragedy” that has been unfolding in Kashmir Valley over the past over 10 weeks. Soon after the army’s director general of military operations, (DGMO), Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh warned: “The Indian Army has displayed considerable restraint while handling the terrorist situation both along the Line of Control and in the hinterland”.
