Baramulla District

Pathankot terror attack

postponed his departure to Russia and the US

Update: 18 soldiers were killed in the Uri attack.

(With inputs from agencies)

17 soldiers martyred in Uri terror attack

NEW DELHI: Terrorists have killed 17 Army soldiers and injured 19 in a suicide attack on an Army camp in Kashmir . Four terrorists struck the camp close to the headquarter of the 12th Brigade at Uri in. This makes it one of the deadliest terrorist strikes on security forces in recent times.To put the death toll in perspective, seven military personnel had been killed in thein January 2016. The attack on the Indian Air Force base there has since become a major international diplomatic incident.The high number of casualties in the Uri terror attack could be attributed to the fact that a large number of soldiers, from the Dogra Regiment, had been stationed at the camp in tents and other temporary structures. Some of these tents caught fire during the attack, and the fire spread to other parts of the barracks. The soldiers had been stationed there as they were turning over from a tour of duty.Four heavily armed terrorists struck the camp around 4 am. They have been neutralized by the Army, and combing operations are presently underway to sanitize the area.It is believed that the Uri terror attack was the handiwork of a terrorists who infiltrated across the Line of Control LoC ) from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir ( PoK ), who might have entered along the Salamabad Nallah into Uri.The attack comes two years after terrorists carried out a similar type of attack at Mohra, in the same region. Ten security personnel were killed in the attack that took place on December 5, 2014.Helicopters from the Army's 19th Division headquarters in Baramulla have been pressed into service to evacuate injured personnel.Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar are set to visit Kashmir and are expected to meet soldiers injured in the Uri terror attack.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh hasto monitor the situation, and chair a high-level meeting into the matter."Keeping the situation of Jammu and Kashmir in mind and in the wake of the terror attack in Uri, I have postponed my visits to Russia and the US," Rajnath Singh said in a series of tweets."I spoke to Governor (NN Vohra) and Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the terror attack in Uri. They have apprised me of the security situation in the state," he said. "I have given instructions to the Union Home Secretary (Rajiv Mehrishi) and other senior officers in the MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) to closely monitor the situation," he added.