This story is from November 29, 2016

Soldiers outside Army camp at Nagrota. (AP photo)

JAMMU: Terrorists in police uniform on Tuesday attacked an Army artillery unit in Nagrota on the outskirts of the city, killing three Army personnel, including an officer, and leaving several others injured.A senior Army officer said that heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed the 166 artillery unit, opening indiscriminate fire.An Army officer and two other personnel were killed while several others were injured in the attack, the senior officer said.A fierce gunbattle is underway at the site, a senior police officer said.Nagrota is the headquarters of the Army's 16 corps.In view of the attack, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been closed for traffic in the area.The district administration has closed all schools in Nagorta tehsil as a precautionary measure."We have ordered closure of all schools and education institutions in Nagrota tehsil in view of the terror attack", Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said.An alert has been sounded in Jammu city.</s>SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Militants attacked an army base near the Indian city of Jammu on Tuesday, killing at least seven security personnel and taking hostages in the boldest assault on a military base in the region in recent months, officials said.

A policeman checks an identity card of a passenger at a checkpoint amid tightened security in Jammu, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta

The gunmen raided the base just before dawn, firing at officers before entering the officers’ mess, where they took security men, women and children hostage for several hours, Jammu-based army spokesman Manish Mehta said.

Soldiers fought back, securing the buildings and freeing the hostages, Mehta said. Three militants were killed during the attack, which took place in India’s northern Jammu and Kashmir state.

“We have tightened the cordon and a combing operation will resume in the morning. If there is any militant, he will be neutralized,” Mehta said. The Indian army casualties included five soldiers and two officers.

Jammu and Kashmir state is part of the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir. That region has been divided between arch-rivals India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947 but is claimed in full by both.

Tuesday’s attack comes on the same day Pakistan’s new army chief, Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa, took charge, and the powerful outgoing army head, General Raheel Sharif, issued a stern warning to India over violence in Kashmir.

Later this week, Pakistan officials are due in the Indian city of Amritsar for an Asian regional summit.

The raid in Jammu was the deadliest since a Sept. 18 assault on an army base in the state that killed at least 19 Indian soldiers - the worst such assault in 14 years - triggering an escalation in tensions between the two countries.

India accuses Pakistan of supporting militants based on its side of the border who cross over to launch attacks. Pakistan denies that, accusing India of abusing the rights of Muslim Kashmiris opposed to Indian rule.

India’s portion of Kashmir has been gripped by protests since security forces killed a popular separatist leader in July. A crackdown in response to the protests has paralyzed much of the region and more than 80 civilians have been killed.

Indian police said on Tuesday they had also stopped an attempt by militants to cross into India south of Jammu, and killed three of the gunmen.

Attacks against Indian security forces have increased in recent months, although raids in the Hindu-majority Jammu area of the state are less common.

Indian and Pakistani cross-border firing along the heavily militarised frontier has also intensified as tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors has risen.</s>Indian soldiers take position outside an army camp at Nagrota, on the outskirts of Jammu, India, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. Police said militants fired indiscriminately and tried to enter the camp, triggering a fierce gun battle.

SRINAGAR, India — Rebels fighting against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir stormed a crucial Indian military base Tuesday, triggering a fierce gunbattle that left at least three army soldiers and four militants dead, officials said.

At the same time in another part of Kashmir, Indian border forces came across three suspected militants who had allegedly crossed the border from Pakistan into India, touching off another exchange of fire in which all three were killed, paramilitary officials said.

The renewed violence followed a five-day lull in fighting between Indian and Pakistani troops, who have been exchanging heavy mortar and artillery fire for months across the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two nations. India has accused Pakistan of helping anti-India rebels stage deadly attacks on its military compounds — an allegation Pakistan denies.

Early Tuesday, at least four militants disguised in police uniforms opened fire on the military camp in Nagrota, a town on the main highway connecting Kashmir's two main cities of Srinagar and Jammu, according to senior police officer K. Rajendra.

The militants then stormed the base and made their way to an area of the compound storing artillery, lobbing grenades and drawing troops into exchanging fire, said another police officer, S.P. Vaid. Three Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed in the fighting, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because of department policy. The officer said at least three other soldiers were wounded.

He said four militants were killed in the daylong battle.

Army officials described the rebels as "fidayeen," a term for militants ready to sacrifice their lives for a cause. They said soldiers were searching the massive camp for any other attackers, additional military casualties or unexploded explosives.

No other details were immediately available. Authorities closed the Srinagar-Jammu highway and ordered nearby schools to close as the fighting raged in Nagrota.

It was the most audacious attack on an Indian military base since a Sept. 18 assault at an army base in the town of Uri. That attack left 19 Indian army soldiers and four suspected militants dead, and escalated tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

India accused Pakistan of helping those militants with weapons, training and logistics, and said it sent troops across the border to launch "surgical strikes" against militants in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.

Since then, soldiers from both sides have pounded each other's military positions along the U.N.-drawn cease-fire line, now referred to as the Line of Control. At least 73 people, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed on both sides.

Meanwhile, relations at the government level have worsened, with the two nations expelling diplomats from their capitals as each side accuses the other of starting the fight.

India's Border Security Force said its soldiers on Tuesday gunned down three suspected militants who had infiltrated from Pakistan and were hiding behind bushes in the border district of Samba.

While clearing the militants' bodies, one of them — allegedly booby-trapped — exploded and injured four Indian soldiers and a police officer, according to a border officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.

India and Pakistan each administer a portion of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. They have fought two wars over those claims since 1947.

Meanwhile, rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for the Muslim-majority region to either gain independence or merge with Pakistan. At least 70,000 people have been killed in that uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.</s>SRINAGAR, India — Police say rebels fighting against Indian rule in the volatile Himalayan region of Kashmir have launched an attack on an Indian army base, triggering a fierce gunbattle.

Police said Tuesday that at least two militants fired indiscriminately and tried to enter the camp in Nagrota town on a major highway.

Initial reports said at least two Indian soldiers were wounded in the attack. There were no other details immediately available.

India and Pakistan each administer a portion of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for either independence or a merger with Pakistan. Since then, more than 68,000 people have been killed in the armed uprising and ensuing Indian military crackdown.</s>A soldier stands guard during a gun battle with armed militants at Nagrota Army base, near Jammu on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: AFP

In a separate incident, two militants were killed in Ramgarh Sector

Seven jawans were killed on Tuesday in an attack by militants on an Army camp in Nagrota, near Jammu.

Three militants were also killed in the gun battle that followed the attack, the Indian Army said, adding that there was a hostage-like situation at the Nagrota Army camp, but all the 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children who were held captive were successfully rescued.

Earlier in the day, local officials told The Hindu that militants and the security forces were engaged in a gun battle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway near Nagrota, around 20 km from Jammu city.

They said the militants appeared in the area between 5.30 a.m. and 6 a.m. and attacked the Army camp.

All schools in Nagrota have been closed for the day, said an official.

In a separate incident, three militants were killed in Ramgarh Sector in Jammu's Samba district. The BSF spotted suspicious movement of militants using thermal imagers near the Chamliyal Border Outpost in the intervening night of November 28 and 29. The militants were holed up in a tubewell pump house in the fields, close to the International Border (IB).

The BSF confirmed that the gunfight is over and the area is being sanitised. Details of the operation, including the seizures, would be released once the operation is over, it said.

Four security personnel, including a BSF jawan, were injured in the encounter. Preliminary reports suggest that were was an explosion as the bodies of the three slain militants were being inspected.</s>SRINAGAR, India — Rebels fighting against Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir stormed an Indian military base Tuesday morning, triggering a fierce gunbattle that left two army officers and a militant dead, officials said.

The renewed violence followed a five-day lull in fighting between Indian and Pakistani troops, who have been exchanging heavy mortar and artillery fire for months across the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two nations. India has accused Pakistan of helping anti-India rebels stage deadly attacks on its military compounds — an allegation Pakistan denies.

Early Tuesday, at least two militants opened indiscriminate fire on the military camp in Nagrota, a town on the main highway connecting Kashmir's two main cities of Srinagar and Jammu, according to top police officer S.P. Vaid.

The militants then stormed the base and made their way to an area of the compound storing artillery, drawing troops into exchanging fire, Vaid said. Two Indian soldiers as well as one militant were killed in the fighting.

With the militants hiding within the compound, the gunbattle was still raging inside the camp. There were no other details immediately available.

The attack was the most audacious to target an Indian military base since the Sept. 18 assault on an army base in the town of Uri. That attack left 19 Indian army soldiers dead and escalated tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

India blamed Islamabad for helping the militants with weapons, training and logistics, and said it sent troops across the border to launch "surgical strikes" against militants in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.

Since then, soldiers from both sides have pounded each other's military positions along the U.N.-drawn cease-fire line, now referred to as the Line of Control. At least 73 people, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed on both sides.

Meanwhile, relations at the government level have become frostier, with the two nations expelling diplomats from their capitals as each side accuses the other of starting the fight.

India and Pakistan each administer a portion of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. They have fought two of three wars over those claims since 1947.

Meanwhile, rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for the Muslim-majority region to either gain independence or merge with Pakistan. At least 70,000 people have been killed in that uprising and ensuing Indian military crackdown.</s>A soldier stands guard during a gun battle with armed militants at Nagrota Army base, near Jammu on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: AFP

In a separate incident, two militants were killed in Ramgarh Sector

Three jawans were killed and three injured in an attack by miltants early on Tuesday morning on an Army camp in Nagrota near Jammu.

One of the holed up militants is believed to be killed. Sources say two to three militants are still at large and have taken positions and are holed up inside concrete structures.

Local officials told The Hindu that militants and the security forces were engaged in gun battle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway near Nagrota, around 20 km from Jammu city.

They said the militants appeared in the area between 5.30 a.m. and 6 a.m. and attacked the Army camp.

All schools in Nagrota have been closed for the day, said an official.

In a separate incident, three militants were killed in Ramgarh Sector in Jammu's Samba district. The BSF spotted suspicious movement of militants using thermal imagers near the Chamliyal Border Outpost in the intervening night of November 28 and 29. The militants were holed up in a tubewell pump house in the fields, close to the International Border (IB).

The BSF confirmed that the gunfight is over and the area is being sanitised. Details of the operation, including the seizures, would be released once the operation is over, it said.

Four security personnel, including a BSF jawan, were injured in the encounter. Preliminary reports suggest that were was an explosion as the bodies of the three slain militants were being inspected.</s>Soldiers take position outside the Army installation at Nagrota, 20 km from Jammu, on Tuesday.

Seven Army personnel, including two officers, were killed when militants attacked their unit near Jammu on Tuesday.

The militants launched a suicide attack on the White Knight Corps of Northern Command’s strategic 16 Corps — one of the biggest Army formations meant for Jammu, the Pir Panjal and the Chenab valleys — located at Nagrota, around 20 km from Jammu city.

Around 5.30 a.m., the militants sneaked into the Army installation. “The terrorists were heavily armed and disguised in police uniform. They targeted an Army unit just 3 km from the Corps headquarters in Nagrota and forced their way into the Officers Mess by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries,” said a spokesman of the Northern Command.

While four personnel, including an officer, were killed in the first round of firing, three more were killed during a rescue operation.

“The terrorists entered two buildings, occupied by officers and families. This led to a hostage-like situation. All, including 12 soldiers, two children and two women, were rescued. However, one officer and two jawans were killed in the operation,” said the spokesman.

The bodies of three militants have been recovered and the sanitisation operation was on, he added.

In another attack, a BSF patrol was targeted by militants in Ramgarh sector, near the International Border in Samba district, 55 km from the site of the first attack.

“Three militants were killed in the gunfight,” said the official. Four BSF personnel were injured.</s>Militants in police uniform today attacked an army artillery unit in Nagrota on the outskirts of the city, killing three Army personnel, including an officer, and leaving several others injured.



 There were unconfirmed reports that four militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight.



 A senior Army officer said that heavily-armed militants in police uniform stormed the 166 artillery unit, opening indiscriminate fire.



 An army officer and two other personnel were killed while several others were injured in the attack, the senior officer said.



 A fierce gunbattle is underway at the site, a senior police officer said. Nagrota is the headquarters of the Army's 16 corps.



 In view of the attack, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been closed for traffic in the area.The district administration has closed all schools in Nagorta tehsil as a precautionary measure.



 "We have ordered closure of all schools and education institutions in Nagrota tehsil in view of the terror attack", Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Simrandeep Singh said. An alert has been sounded in Jammu city.</s>A soldier stands guard during a gun battle with armed militants at Nagrota Army base, near Jammu on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: AFP

In a separate incident, two militants were killed in Ramgarh Sector

Seven soldiers, including two officers, and six militants were killed in twin pre-dawn attacks launched by fresh infiltrators near Jammu on Tuesday, coinciding with the takeover of General Qamar Javed Bajwa as new Pakistan Army chief across the border.

A group of militants launched a fidayeen (suicide) attack on the White Knight Corps of northern command’s strategic 16 Corps — one of the biggest Army formations meant for Jammu, the Pir Panjal and the Chenab valleys — located at Nagrota, around 20 km from Jammu city.

Around 5.30 a.m., just before the crack of dawn, the fidayeen took advantage of the darkness to sneak in and spread themselves into the concrete structures inside the Army installation.

“The terrorists were heavily armed and disguised in police uniform. They targeted an Army unit just 3 km from the Corps headquarters in Nagrota and forced their way into the Officers Mess by throwing grenades and firing at the sentries,” said a spokesman of the Northern Command.

While four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in the first round of firing, three more were killed during a rescue operation.

“The terrorists entered two buildings, occupied by officers and families. This led to a hostage-like situation. All, including 12 soldiers, two children and two women, were rescued. However, one officer and two jawans were killed in the operation,” said the spokesman.

The bodies of three terrorists have been recovered so far. The Army, according to the official, is slowly sanitising the area to avoid any booby traps. A chopper was pressed into service to locate the positions of the militants. “The operation is in progress,” he said.

In another attack, a Border Security Force patrol came under attack from a group of militants in Ramgarh sector, near the International Border in Samba district, 55 km from the first attack.

A BSF official said the militants were hiding near a tubewell, close to a BSF border outpost. “Three militants were killed in the gunfight,” said the official. Four BSF personnel, including DIG B.S. Kasana, were injured.

Two LeT groups involved in Jammu attack

Two groups of the Lashkar-e-Taiba were involved in the twin attacks in Jammu on Tuesday.

Army sources said preliminary investigation suggested that the two groups crossed into Jammu only on Monday night to carry out these attacks.

Speaking to Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, Northern Army Commander, Governor N.N. Vohra expressed serious concern over repeated terrorist attacks on the security forces establishment.

“Pakistan is continuing with the attempts to exacerbate the situation while India was seeking to restore peace and normalcy,” said Mr. Vohra, while urging all the commanders to enhance surveillance on every front.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh termed the attacks a “desperate bid to push the State into chaos.”
Militants launch an attack on an Indian Army base in the town of Nagrota. At least 7 soldiers and 3 insurgents die in the attack.