Uri terror attack aimed at creating war-like situation in region: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti

In one of the deadliest attacks on the Army in recent years, 17 jawans were killed and 19 others injured as heavily armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the force in North Kashmir's Uri town in the wee hours on Sunday.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday condemned the terror attack in Uri and said that it was aimed at triggering fresh violence and creating a war-like situation in the region.

"Strongly condemn Uri attack. Attack seems to be aimed at triggering fresh violence and creating a war-like situation in the region. Heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and also pray for early recovery of those injured in the attack," Mufti said.

"J&K has always been worst victim of Indo-Pak hostility and its people have been paying a colossal price for same for past over six decades," the J&K CM added, as per ANI.

In one of the deadliest attacks on the Army in recent years, 17 jawans were killed as heavily armed militants stormed a battalion headquarters of the force in North Kashmir's Uri town in the wee hours today.

Four militants involved in the terror strike were killed by the Army.

Explosions and gunfire erupted as the militants attacked the camp, which is located barely few metres away from the Army's Brigade Headquarters in Uri town, 102 kms from here, around 4 am, official sources said.

The jawans of the Dogra Regiment were sleeping in a tent which caught fire due the explosion. The fire also engulfed the nearby barracks, the sources said.

It is believed that the attack was the handiwork of a group of freshly infiltrated militants who could have entered from an area along the Salamabad Nallah, the sources said, as per PTI.

17 jawans were killed in the terror attack, the Northern Command of the Army said.

Nineteen other personnel were injured in the strike in which four militants were killed.

Defence sources said that this is one of the deadliest attacks on the Army in recent years.

In January, seven military personnel were killed when six terrorists attacked the Pathankot air base.

The attack comes two years after militants had carried out a similar type of attack at Mohra in the same area. Ten security personnel were killed in the attack that took place on December 5, 2014.

Giving details of the attack, the Army said in a statement, "A group of heavily armed terrorists targeted the rear administrative base of a unit at Uri, Kashmir. In the counter action, four terrorists have been eliminated and combing operations are in progress"

"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," the statement said.

(With Agency inputs)