New recruits of the Indian Border Security Force. (Photo : BSF)
An undetermined number of Muslim militants infiltrated an Indian Army base in Kashmir for the second time in three weeks and opened fire, killing one army soldier and wounding another before escaping, but not unscathed.
Early reports indicated at least two of the attackers were killed while another might have drowned in their attack on the city of Baramulla in the district with the same name. The Muslims reached the camp of the 46 Rastriya Rifles by boat on the Jhelum River that passes through the city.
Baramulla is a majority Muslim city and is the district capital in a majority Muslim district. It's located on the bank of the Jhelum River downstream from Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on the road to Uri, site of the Sept. 18 attack where Muslim militants killed 18 army soldiers.
The army believes some six militants attacked Baramulla on Oct. 2 at about 1700 GMT, said Baramulla Superintendent of Police Imtiyaz Hussein. The dead jawan was a member of the Border Security Force (BSF) while the unit of the other wounded man has not been specified.
Since their Sept. 18 attack on an army camp at Uri, also in Kashmir, Muslim militants have killed 19 Indian soldiers against the probable loss of six men of their own. The casualty count is an embarrassment for the army, as is the seeming impunity with which militants are attacking army bases.
"They fled under the cover of darkness," said Hussein of the militants.
The army sent men of its 4 Para (Special Forces) battalion to hunt down the escaped guerillas.
On Sept. 29, the army said it launched surgical strikes inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir against Muslim militants with its Para Special Forces and heavy artillery fire, and Pakistan responded to this news with a firm denial there was any surgical strike at all.
Pakistan said what occurred was the normal exchange of fire with India along the Line of Control but did admit the loss of two of its soldiers during these firefights.
Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, Director General of Military Operations of the Indian Army, said the army "conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads" and that "significant casualties have been caused (to the terrorists)."
"Based on very specific and credible information which we received yesterday, that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launchpads along the Line of Control, with an aim to carry out infiltration and terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and various other metros in our country, the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes last night at these launchpads," said Gen. Singh.
