*Gunbattle over at Samba, operation on at Nagrota
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 29: Seven Army soldiers including two Majors and six militants were killed while eight BSF and police personnel including DIG BSF BS Kasana were injured in twin terror attacks at an Army camp in Nagrota and unsuccessful infiltration attempt at Ramgarh in Samba sector today. While operation at Samba was over by this afternoon, it was temporary halted tonight at Nagrota but cordon was maintained and will resume with the onset of dawn tomorrow as Army didn’t rule out presence of more militants inside the camp.
The attack on 166 Artillery Unit of the Army, just about three kilometers from 16 Corps Headquarters at Nagrota, was the first major after September 18 Uri terror attack in which 20 Army jawans were martyred. The twin attacks came within a day after the naming of Qamar Javed Bajwa as new army chief of Pakistan in place of Raheel Sharief, who will hang up his boots on November 30.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta told reporters at Nagrota late this evening that seven Army soldiers including two officers have been martyred in the terrorist attack inside Nagrota Army camp. He said that three terrorists have been killed so far but the operation was not over yet indicating that there could be one or two more militants inside the camp.
Lt Col Mehta said a group of heavily armed terrorists disguised in police uniforms targeted an Army unit, located three kilometers from the Corps Headquarters at Nagrota.
“The terrorists forced their entry into the Officers Mess complex by throwing grenades and firing from automatic weapons at the Sentries on guard duty. In the initial encounter, one Army officer and three soldiers were martyred,” he said, adding the terrorists entered into two buildings, which were occupied by Army officers, their families and other jawans, which led to a hostage like situation.
“Yes, there was a hostage like situation inside the Army camp,” the Defence spokesperson admitted.
He said 12 Army jawans, two women and two children were present inside the camp but the Army jawans acted very swiftly and quickly contained the hostage like situation by successfully evacuating all the jawans, women and children to safer locations.
However, Lt Col Mehta said, in the attempt to rescue hostages, one more Army officer and two jawans sacrificed their lives.
Saying that the operation was still not over, Lt Col Mehta said the Army has suspended the searches inside the camp during the night but has maintained strict cordon in the areas, where the militants had taken shelter. The operation will resume early tomorrow.
“Bodies of three terrorists have been recovered and operations are in progress to sanitize the complete areas,” he added.
Replying to a question on exact number of militants, the Defence spokesperson said they can’t speculate the numbers as of now. The number will be known once the operation is over.
To another question on route taken by the militants to reach Nagrota Army camp, Lt Col Mehta said the analysis will be done once the operation is over. At present, the Army is focusing on neutralizing all militants followed by sanitization of the area. The analysis will be done once the operation is over, he added.
Traffic on Old Nagrota road remained suspended right from wee hours of the morning as militants were believed to have entered the camp at about 5.30 am by lobbying grenades and resorting to indiscriminate firing killing Sentry on duty and then taking positions in Mess area of the Army Unit.
All educational institutions in Nagrota were also closed today. Most of shops and other business establishments also remained closed in Nagrota town to facilitate free movement of Army and police vehicles to the site of terror attack, which was just three kilometers from 16 Corps Headquarters of the Army.
Reports said that Special Forces of the Army (para commandos) were also rushed to the Army unit and services of helicopters were taken to pin down the holed-up terrorists to neutralize them.
Though the route taken by the militants to target Army camp in Nagrota was anybody’s guess in the absence of any arrests of the militants or their helpers so far, sources said all possible theories are being investigated.
Intelligence sources are working on all angles but, sources admitted, that in any case it was major lapse on part of security apparatus that the militants managed to reach Nagrota, the headquarters of 16 Corps, by travelling several kilometers.
“The militants might have sneaked from the borders or came from the Kashmir valley, erstwhile Doda or any other area of the State. In any case, they would have travelled a long distance before storming the Army camp. Whether they travelled in truck or car or by foot is anybody’s guess but in any of the case, the security apparatus can’t escape responsibility of major security lapse,” sources said, adding this has not happened for the first time as earlier also, the militants had reached Narsu in Samroli area of Udhampur district on November 5, 2015, where they had attacked the BSF bus killing two jawans. Besides, they had travelled freely on Jammu-Pathankot Highway earlier to target Army camps and police stations at Hiranagar, Samba, Rajbagh and Kathua.
“This has been happening quite often but all the times, the security agencies are found watching helplessly,” they said.
According to sources, the fact that the militants once again managed to enter Army camp showed that the Unit had not been completely fortified even after Uri attack as, otherwise, the militants should have been intercepted at the gate and eliminated. By entering inside the camp, the militants martyred seven Army soldiers including two officers, which was quite a high figure.
Sources said the militants appeared to have conducted recce of the National Highway before striking at an Army unit in Nagrota.
Meanwhile, BSF killed three militants in an encounter at Chamblayal in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today.
The BSF jawans intercepted three militants at Chamblayal in Ramgarh sector hardly when they had trekked about 100 to 200 meters inside the Indian territory at about 11.30 pm late last night.
A statement read out to media by Additional DG BSF, Chandigarh, Arun Kumar in the presence of IG BSF, Jammu Frontiers, DK Upadhyaya said it detected suspicious movement of three persons late last night and a Quick Reaction Team of the force swung into action, laying cordon in the area.
“On realizing that they have been trapped, the militants started firing automatic weapons and lobbing grenades on the BSF troops.
“Unable to move further, the militants got holed up in a nearby tube well hut. Taking advantage of the cover, they kept firing intermittently till the day break. The area was kept under intense surveillance by the troops deployed awaiting day break,” the BSF said.
At daybreak, the BSF personnel “made their move and with precise and stable fire, neutralized the three militants quickly,” it said, adding one constable Shyamal Ahirwar sustained bullet injury in his wrist.
Throughout the morning hours, Pakistan kept firing intermittently to provide cover to the militants, it said.
In the ensuing events, BSF’s Jammu DIG B S Kasana, Inspector Sarabjit Singh of India Reserve Battalion and constable Vaibhav of BSF among others sustained injuries, it said.
All the injured were immediately evacuated to Military Hospital and Government Medical College Jammu, where their condition was reported to be stable, the statement said.
Three AK-47 rifles, 18 magazines, 25 live grenades, three IED waist belts, five chain IEDs (used to blow up railway tracks), Global Positioning System (GPS), a wireless set and Pakistan made eatables were recovered from the slain terrorists, which established that the militants had been sent from across the border.
“Had BSF not successfully contained and eliminated the terrorists, they could have caused massive damage in the mainland. It was only because of BSF’s multi-tier security cover that this calamity was averted effectively,” BSF said.
The area is being sanitized, they added.
Sources said Pakistani Rangers fired about 15 mortar shells on the BSF and Jammu Police officials, who had reached the spot after killing of the three Pakistani militants.
IG BSF DK Upadhyaya and DIG Jammu-Kathua Range Ashkoor Wani had narrow escape in the shell explosions while DIG BSF B S Kasana, Inspector Sarabjeet Singh of Anti-Fidayeen Group of Police and others were injured. Simultaneously an IED was also reported to have exploded near bodies of the militants.
Other injured have been identified as Om Prakash, ASI BSF, Paras Ram, constable BSF, Mukesh Choudhary, constable BSF, Bivas Bhatial, constable, BSF and KV Kumar, constable BSF.
Intelligence sources revealed that it was a plot hatched by Pakistan army on the eve of takeover by new army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and retirement of Raheel Sharief to carry out two stunning attacks on Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot National Highways. For the purpose, two separate militant groups had been deputed. One of the group was sent from Pakistan, which infiltrated into the Indian territory but was intercepted by the BSF and neutralized within few hours while another group entered Army camp of 166 Artillery Unit of the Army at Nagrota.
“The day of attack had specifically been chosen to coincide with retirement of Raheel Sharief and takeover of Qamer Javed Bajwa as new army chief of Pakistan, who is scheduled to take over in the next two days. However, the militants were unable to cause the damage to the extent they had planned, which was evident from huge quantity of explosives and ammunition recovered from three slain militants in Ramgarh sector,” sources said.
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