Civilian Killed with Militants

The gunmen stormed the army base at Tangdhar, 140 kilometres northwest of the main city of Srinagar, firing automatic weapons. They also hurled grenades at the camp, and there were reports that an army oil depot and some vehicles caught fire.

Past year on December 5, a similar fidayeen attack on an Army camp in Uri left eight soldiers and three state police personnel dead. The killed militants are most probably fidayeens. A civilian, working with army as generator operator, was also killed while a soldier received wounds in the attack. “Operations are in progress to fully sanitise the area”, said the defence spokesman.

An army official said the attackers entered after slicing through a wall. “It seems to be a well-planned attack, ” said the Army officer.

The gunbattle between security forces and militants was on till afternoon and the army called in special forces to deal with the situation.

At least four people have been killed in a fierce exchange of fire between Indian forces and a group of pro-independence fighters in the Indian-administered Kashmir.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored de facto border of LoC but is claimed in full by both the countries.

The joint operation was conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles battalion, Territorial Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police.

Earlier, local media reported that a jawan was killed. “He has been hospitalised and doctors have said his condition was stable”, a source said.

The army has launched a search operation for the militants who attacked the Tangdhar camp.