: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh are rushing to Kashmir following the deadly terrorist attack on the Army camp in Uri.
“Army Chief is on his way to Srinagar,” a senior Army sources said. Army Chief will be taking stock of the situation and reassure the soldiers in what is the biggest attack the Army has suffered in its counter terrorism operations in the Jammu & Kashmir.
Mr. Parrikar is expected to reach Srinagar late afternoon.
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Army sources said that the attack happened on an infantry battalion in the rear end of the Brigade headquarters in Uri in the early hours of the morning.
A transition of Army units was underway as a result of which Dogra and Bihar regiments were present.
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More such terror attacks are expected in coming days due to continuing unrest in Kashmir and the Army being redeployed to the hinterland in South Kashmir from the forward areas.
“Uri attack, this is my old HQ. Warned the Cdr specifically on September 8. Happened in 10 days. Done to remove pressure from hinterland army move,” Lt Gen Ata Hasnain, former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 and 21 Corps tweeted.
South Kashmir has been simmering with protests since the killing of Burhan Wani,
Hizbul Mujahideen’s commander, in an encounter in July. With violence going unabated, the Army was asked to send in additional forces to the trouble spots in the South.
More attacks are feared because the number of successful cross-border infiltrations have gone up drastically in recent months and so has the number of terrorists killed in such attempts.
According to official figures as on July 31, there were 72 successful infiltrations across the Line of Control compared to 30’s for the whole of last year.