Militants who attacked Baramulla Army camp used civilians as shields, say Jammu and Kashmir police
The Pakistani Army also violated the ceasefire in Poonch district, according to defence officials, and three civilians were injured in the incident.
The Jammu and Kashmir police said militants who attacked an Army camp in Baramulla district on Sunday night used civilians as shields, The Indian Express reported. A senior police official said security forces were unable to target the militants properly because they were using civilians to protect themselves. A Border Security Force officer was killed and another injured when militants attacked the 46 Rashtriya Rifles and Border Security Force camps in the region. Two militants were also killed in the exchange of fire.
The militants, who are suspected to have entered India across the Jhelum river, opened fire and hurled grenades after they gained access to the 46 RR camp through the adjoining BSF camp. Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation with BSF Director-General KK Sharma and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Search operations in the area have ended, with the remaining militants having escaped after their gun battle with security forces, according to NDTV. Additional Director General of BSF's Western Command Arun Kumar said the militants were able to escape their chase as it was dark, ANI reported. The Army said the situation was "contained and under control".
Meanwhile, Defence Ministry officials said the Pakistani Army carried out a ceasefire violation on Monday in the Poonch district of Kashmir using small arms as well as mortars. Three civilians were injured in the incident, according to ANI. Officials said Indian forces had fired back after the violation. There was also suspicious movement detected by Army personnel at the Gurdaspur camp in Punjab on Monday morning.
Sunday night's attack comes four days after India carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads along the Line of Control. On September 18, four militants had launched a similar attack on the army base camp in Uri and killed 19 soldiers.