Nagrota terror attack: 7 Army personnel martyred; 16 rescued in hostage-like situation

Seven Indian Army soldiers including two officers were killed when terrorists stormed an artillery unit in Nagrota in Jammu early this morning. The terrorists also took hostages. Bodies of three terrorists killed in the counter attack have been recovered so far.

The terrorists were disguised as policemen. They fired at sentries and forced into the officer’s mess, the Northern Command said in an official statement. One officer and three soldiers were killed in the initial counter attack by the Indian Army. The terrorists subsequently divided themselves into two groups and entered two separate living quarters.

They took hostages that included two women, two children and 12 soldiers hostage. In the operation to rescues the hostage another officer and two more soldiers were killed, the Northern Command said in an official statement.

“The terrorists were heavily armed and carried sophisticated automatic weapons, Under Barrel Grenade Launchers (UBGL) and had no intention of leaving the camp alive,” a senior army official said.

The operation to flush out terrorist saw the crack para-commandos in action is still continuing. “Operations to sanitize the complete area” is on, the Northern Command said.

The artillery unit is located about three kilometers from the Nagrota based 16 Corps. The Corps is tasked to defend the Line of Control and the International border with Pakistan.

Initial investigations suggest the terrorist had breached the boundary wall of the artillery unit and crossed about a kilometer to reach the Officer’s Mess.

In a separate encounter the Border Security Force killed three more terrorist in the Chamliyal area of the Ramgarh Sector. Series or chain Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), over two dozen grenades and IED belts and war like stores were recovered from the terrorists. “From the explosives recovered it appears that terrorist wanted to blow-up rail tracks, the ammunition recovered from them enough to for two days,” senior BSF officials told Huffington Post. Three BSF soldiers including an officer were injured.

India has lost 28 soldiers in since September 29th when the Indian Army crossed the Line of Control and destroyed at least 7 terrorists launch pads in Pakistan.

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