The Attack Chronology
- Gunshots were heard by locals around 10 pm, followed by blasts and intermittent cross-firing.
- Terrorists attempted to breach the 46 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) camp located inside a stadium in Stadium Colony area of Baramulla town.
- Official sources said terrorists were believed to have entered the establishment through the adjacent BSF camp.
- Militants launched a ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) attack at the camp.
The camp is located on the banks of the Jhelum river between Azad Gunj and Janbaz Pora localities of Baramulla. - On the other side of the river are also located important police and army installations, including the Divisional Headquarters.
One BSF jawan was killed while another injured when terrorists carried out a fidayeen (suicide) attack on a BSF and adjoining army camps in Baramulla on Sunday night, barely four days after the Indian Special Forces smashed seven terror launch pads during a surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC).
The terrorists, who gained entry into the 46 Rashtriya Rifles camp through an adjoining BSF camp, fired indiscriminately and lobbed grenades as well.
During the firing, two BSF jawans were injured who were rushed to the nearby hospital, officials said, adding one of the personnel succumbed to injuries at the operation table.
Some reports also suggested that two militants were gunned down.
The firing came to a halt and terrorists were not able to breach the army camp parameters, said the official.
This attack came barely a fortnight after terrorists launched an assault on army’s brigade headquarters at Uri which left 20 soldiers dead.
But unlike in Uri, where the terrorists attacked the army camp during the change of shift, the attack on Sunday was on a well prepared army camp.
A Foiled Attempt
Since the Army and other forces have been on high alert since Uri, they took on the terrorists as soon as the first shots were fired.
It was the initial firing that took the life of the BSF jawan but soon after that, armed forces started exchange of fire thus foiling the infiltration bid.
The camp is located on the outskirts of Baramulla city and personnel of BSF, which is under the operational command of the Army in the area, jointly stay in the camp with the soldiers, officials said.
Experts suggested that the attack by the terrorist was a bad idea as the soldiers in the camp are known for their counter insurgency skills.
Retaliating to Surgical Strikes?
The attack took place days after intelligence inputs about possible terrorist attacks on security installations in Jammu and Kashmir were given to the army. Possible suicide attacks were expected after Indian army carried out surgical strikes on 29 September, reported The Indian Express.
Attack on Armed Forces
Two of the recent attacks were devised in a way to cause maximum damage to the armed forces while no civilian casualties were reported.
The terrorists planned both the attacks on or near army head quarters where very few civilians are allowed.
Fidayeen Attack
The terrorists in who conducted the attack in Uri came prepared to die. The same pattern was followed by the terrorists in Sunday night’s attack, reports suggested.
Rashtriya Rifles
Rashtriya Rifles (RR), is the largest counter insurgency force in the world. It stands on the vanguard of anti-guerilla operations in J&K.
The force has a motto of death or victory and it comprises 65 battalions divided in five companies –Romeo Force, Delta Force, Victor Force, Kilo and Uniform Force–that tackles militants and protects the lines of communication and supplies from enemy strikes in J&K.
Read more on the Rashtriya Rifles here.
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