Army Camp at Baramulla Attacked

SRINAGAR: A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was killed in an attack by suspected militants who tried to storm an Indian Army camp in north Kashmir's Baramulla last night.

Officials said the gunfight started around 10 pm when a group of heavily armed suspects, believed to be two to three in number, opened fire outside the Army's 46 Rashtriya Rifles camp in Janbazpora of Baramulla.

However, the nocturnal raid was preempted by forces who retaliated the gunfire. In the initial encounter, two BSF troopers were injured who were shifted to a hospital where one of them succumbed to injuries.

The identity of the slain trooper has not been revealed by police so far.

The sound of gunfire and exploding grenades continued till late in the night, keeping the residents of the historic town awake through most of the night, even as more reinforcements were rushed to the spot.

A senior police officer said the suspects took advantage of darkness to escape from the site of the attack. "We are carrying out searches in the area and investigations are underway," the officer said.

The attack comes two weeks after four militants were killed when they stormed the Army's base camp near its LoC Brigade headquarters in Uri, killing 18 soldiers before being neutralised.

It the third attack of its kind in this north Kashmir district amid reports that around 100 local youths may have joined militant ranks following the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani.

According to officials, there has been a sudden spurt in gun-snatching incidents with at least four such incidents reported in the last three weeks across the valley.

On Thursday, the Army claimed to have conducted 'surgical strikes' across the Line of Control against suspected militants waiting to infiltrate into Kashmir.

Two Pakistani soldiers were also killed in the strikes, sparking tensions between the two nuclear armed countries with India announcing mass evacuation of villages along the LoC fearing retaliation from across the de facto border.

The National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan spoke over phone and agreed to reduce tensions on the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Monday.