Uri attack: 17 soldiers, 4 terrorists killed; combing operations in progress

Seventeen soldiers and four militants were killed on Sunday during an attack on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri town.Militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the Army, 102 km from Srinagar, in the wee hours on Sunday, with explosions and heavy gunfire heard at the spot.[caption id="attachment_3004722" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. PTI[/caption]Colonel SD Goswami, spokesman of the army's Udhampur headquartered Northern Command, told IANS, "Four terrorists who had entered the rear base camp of an infantry battalion in Uri town were killed," adding "search operation was continuing inside the camp".The fidayeen (suicide) militants had entered the camp around 5.30 am.Immediately after the militants entered the camp, explosions and exchange of heavy fire were heard from inside, official sources said.Initially, the attack was understood to be at the Brigade Headquarters but sources in the Army said it was at the rear formation of a battalion that was deployed at the Line of Control (LoC).Helicopters were pressed into service to deploy Special Forces of the Army and to evacuate the injured, reports News18.Seventeen soldiers were killed in the attack, while many injured were airlifted to an army hospital in Srinagar. Combing operations is now in progress."Terrorists attacked the rear base camp of an infantry battalion and not the headquarters of 12 Brigade in Uri today (Sunday) morning which is posted on the Line of Control (LoC)," the sources added.In New Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is reported to have cancelled his visit to Russia and the US. He has called for a high-level meeting on Sunday to discuss the situation is Kashmir.Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will visit Srinagar later on Sunday in wake of the attack. Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh will also visit Kashmir.With inputs from agencies