Seventeen soldiers were killed in a militant attack in Uri area of Baramulla district on Sunday morning. Police sources said that fidayeen militants stormed an Army camp in Uri near the Line of Control (LoC) around 4 a.m. Four militants were killed in the encounter.

“A group of heavily armed terrorists targeted the rear administrative base of a unit at Uri, Kashmir. In the counter action, four terrorists were eliminated and combing operations are in progress,” the Army said in a statement.

“The administrative base had large strength of troops of units turning over after their tour of duty who were stationed in tents/temporary shelters which caught fire, and resulted in heavy casualties. We salute the sacrifice of 17 soldiers who were martyred in the operation.”

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will visit Kashmir to meet the injured soldiers.

From Vijaita Singh:

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has postponed his visit to Russia and the U.S in the wake of the terror attack.

Mr. Singh was to leave for Russia on Sunday for a four-day visit. After Russia, he was to leave on a week-long visit to the U.S on September 27 to attend the Homeland Security Dialogue.

A message posted by the Home Minister’s Twitter handle said, “Keeping the situation of Jammu and Kashmir in mind and in the wake of terror attack in Uri, I have postponed my visits to Russia and the USA.”

“I have given instructions to the Home Secretary and other senior officers in MHA to closely monitor the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” another tweet by Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Singh also spoke to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on the situation arising out of the terror strike in Uri.

[Source:-The Hindu]