Jaish claims responsibility

Abrar Bhat

Srinagar: Three militants and civilian got killed while Junior Commissioned Officer of army was injured on Wednesday after militants attacked the army camp at Tanghdar region of North Kashmir.

In recent times, the attack by the heavily armed militants was seen as the most daring attempt after they killed a colonial and injured another one in same region in earlier two encounters.

 The army official said that three militants laced with automatic weapons took the positions on the mountains ridge around the camp of 3/1GR camp early in the morning at 6:15 and resorted to heavy firing.

 In the initial gun fight a civilian and JCO was injured.

However, owing to heavy firing and chaos the injured JCO was presumed dead lying inside the camp.

“We presumed him dead since he was lying in pool of blood after sustained multiple bullet injurious. However, when the firing stopped we went to retrieve his body but found him unconscious. He recovered later in hospital,” said the army official.  

“Positioning themselves at a mountainous ridge near the camp, the militants fired firearms and grenade launchers toward army barracks that houses 80 soldiers. As the firing started this morning, the militants first fired the generator of the camp, setting it aflame to cut off the electricity,” said the sources.

A civilian, Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh, 25, was killed when the gunfire started. “Tanveer was employed as generator operator with the camp. He is survived by his wife and a toddler,” the residents of Karnah said.

The fierce gun battle raged for 7-long hours and ended in the afternoon. Army air dropped para commandoes to fight with the militants.

The JCO, identified as V K Reddy, injured in the attack, has been shifted to Drugmulla hospital for treatment.

Army spokesman in Srinagar Colonel N N Joshi confirmed the causalities.

“Army is searching and combing the whole area before calling off the operation,” Col Joshi told KNS.

He said that the identity of the militants is yet to be established and how the militants reached near the camp will be investigated though a proper procedure. He said more details about the attack will be provided after the operation is called off.

Meanwhile, Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack on the army camp.

In a tele-statement to KNS, Jaish spokesman Mohammad Hassan Shah said three fidayeens attacked the army camp in Tanghdar near LoC. with inputs from KNS