PM Modi addresses an election rally in Udhampur.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Udhampur, 60 km from Jammu, terrorists hiding in an abandoned army bunker continued to exchange fire with soldiers. Major ceasefire violations by Pakistan this morning have seen its troops targeting border outposts at Arnia, where a group of terrorists crossed into India on Thursday morning.Officials said of that group, one or two who have survived nearly 24 hours of gun-battle with the army are holed up in the bunker. Since yesterday, four militants, three soldiers, and five civilians are reported killed in the encounter, now in its second day.At his rally, Prime Minster Modi said, "The kind of tension which security forces face in J&K is not faced by anyone posted elsewhere. I want to tell the men in uniform, the government that'll be formed this time in J&K will understand your needs."The crowd cheered continuously through the speech, in which he pointed out that he had visited J&K every month since he took over and promised to visit next month too.The attack by terrorists in Arnia yesterday coincided with the SAARC summit in Kathmandu which was attended by the heads of eight member nations, including PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. The summit, aimed at boosting trade in the region, was over-shadowed by the tension between the Indian and Pakistani leaders, who finally shook hands at a photo-op to mark the end of the summit after cold-shouldering each other.

Top army officials said Pakistani troops violated the cease-fire at the border on Thursday morning to provide cover to the terrorists as they crossed over into India. The infiltrators opened fire at an army column on patrol near Arnia, just two kilometres from the border. Then they managed to enter the unused bunker.Jammu and Kashmir is voting over five days spread over a month for its next government. Polling began on Tuesday with a record turnout of nearly 72 percent. Results will be declared on December 23.