Five Uri militants were fidayeens, says army
Had plans to carry out attacks with IED strapped on them, says army; five AK47 rifles were also seized
SRINAGAR: The five militants who were killed in north Kashmir’s Uri sector on the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday had uniquely body-fitted improvised explosive devices (IEDs), indicating that they were Fidayeens (suicide squad), army said on Sunday. It said that it has recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the search operation after the Friday’s gunfight.
SRINAGAR: The five militants who were killed in north Kashmir’s Uri sector on the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday had uniquely body-fitted improvised explosive devices (IEDs), indicating that they were Fidayeens (suicide squad), army said on Sunday.
It said that it has recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the search operation after the Friday’s gunfight.
“In these search operations, huge quantities of arms and ammunition have been recovered which includes five AK 47 rifles, two under barrel grenade launchers, large quantity of explosives, combat dresses, incendiary material , eatables with Pakistan markings, and uniquely body-fitted IEDs with timer mechanisms,” said Brigadier YS Ahlawat in a media interaction in Uri.
“This indicates that this was a Fidayeen group which was infiltrating with sinister plans to carry out gruesome attacks on an army camp or a civil installation in and around Uri.”
He said the army’s alertness has not only resulted in the elimination of this group but has also ensured peace and tranquillity in the Valley which “this group wanted to vitiate in the holy month of Ramadhan”.
“This is the fifth infiltration attempt that has been successfully eliminated by the army in the last three days,” he said.
“The army continues to resolve to keep a strict vigil on the LoC and foil all such nefarious designs of Pakistan-abetted terrorists,” he said.
The army on Friday had claimed to have foiled an infiltration bid killing five militants in Kashmir’s Uri sector. Army’s northern command on Thursday had said that it has been tackling multiple infiltration bids along the LoC in north Kashmir’s four sectors – Machhil, Naugam, Gurez and Uri.
As many as 13 militants were killed in the four sectors since Wednesday morning.
Brigadier Ahlawat gave details of the Uri operation saying that the militants tried to infiltrate into the Uri sector by exploiting the thick jungles on the LoC during night.
“Alert troops detected their movement and immediately engaged them in a firefight. After the initial gunbattle, in a prolonged search operation which lasted for two days under inclement weather conditions, the five terrorists were killed,” he said.
He added that the group was from Lashkar-e-Taiba and was the second major operation after two members of Pakistan’s Border Action Team were killed in Uri on May 26.
“In the past few days we have seen that there has been a surge in infiltration attempts and with the abetment of Pakistan, it is likely to continue,” Ahlawat said.