Army hints at JeM behind Uri attack, says evil designs will get befitting reply

Hinting at Jaish-e-Mohammad's role behind the Uri terror attack, Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh on Sunday asserted that the evil designs would get a befitting reply.

"The killed terrorists were all foreign terrorists and as per the initial reports, they belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad. Along with the terrorists, we recovered four AK-47 rifles, four under barrel grenade launchers, a large number of grenades and other war-like stores," Lt. Gen. Singh said.

Divulging details of the terror attack, he said, "A group of heavily armed terrorists opened fire on an administrative base of one of the units of the Indian Army located at Uri in Kashmir at 5:30 early this morning. The firefight between the terrorists and Indian Army continued till approximately 8:30 in the morning. During this firefight, all four terrorists have been killed by the Indian Army."

 

Lt. Gen. Singh said the terrorists opened fire with incendiary ammunition along with the automatic fire of small arms which led to the tents and some temporary shelters located inside the army camp catching fire.

"There were additional troops located in the administrative base at Uri which was because of the routine turnover of units as a part of the normal relief programme. There have been a total of 17 army fatal casualties. However of these 13 to 14 casualties have been primarily because of the tents and the temporary shelters having caught fire," he added.

Lt. Gen. Singh said the operation for the clearance of the entire complex is still in progress, adding the Indian Army is carrying out a very deliberate and a methodical search of the entire area in and around the military complex at Uri.

"As such complete details of the operation are not yet available. However, suffice to mention that in the time so far the Indian Army has conducted this operation in an extremely professional and deliberate manner wherein the troops have acted displaying exceptional courage and gallantry in neutralizing the terrorists," he added.

Lt. Gen. Singh said the items recovered from the slain terrorists had Pakistani markings, adding he has conveyed India's serious concerns about the same with Pakistan Director General of Military operation General Raheel Sharif.

"I would also like to mention that the intelligence agencies and security forces are working in close synergy with each other and regular intelligent inputs are received from intelligence organisations and agencies and necessary action is being taken accordingly," he added.

Lt. Gen. Singh said Chief of Army Staff Dalbir Singh has visited the site of the operation to take an on the ground assessment and he was briefed by all unit and formation commanders there.

"The Defence Minister has also just landed at Srinagar and is being briefed by the chief of army staff on the ground situation. We salute the supreme sacrifice made by the brave soldiers of Indian Army in the highest traditions of the organisation. I would like to assure you that the Indian Army remains prepared to thwart any nefarious designs of the adversary. Any evil design of the adversary shall be given a befitting response by us," he added.

At least 17 soldiers were martyred and 19 others injured post the terror strike on an army camp close to the headquarters of the 12th Brigade at Uri in Baramulla district.

All four terrorists have been killed in what has emerged as worse than the attack on the Pathankot air base earlier in January this year, in which seven army men were killed.

In a statement, the Army said that a group of heavily armed terrorists targeted the rear administrative base of a unit at Uri, and in the counter action, four terrorists have been eliminated and combing operations are in progress.