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2 soldiers killed in terrorist attack on army camp

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Two soldiers, including a subedar (a rank equivalent to sergeant), were killed when terrorists attacked a heavily guarded army camp at Beerwah in central Budgam district early today.

The local police station also came under attack from the extremists.

Meanwhile, police in Srinagar said three soldiers, including Lieutenant B D Singh of the elite Naval Commando Force guarding the Wular Lake, Asia's biggest fresh water lake, were killed late yesterday in a bomb explosion.

A police spokesman said terrorists targeted the vehicle of the station house officer of Bandipore with an improvised explosive device (IED) and automatic weapons at Brar in Baramullah district. But the policemen managed to get away.

Immediately after, a team of naval commandos led by the lieutenant reached the spot and the terrorists detonated another IED, killing three of them on the spot.

A top police officer in Srinagar said terrorists launched fierce attacks simultaneously on the Rashtriya Rifles camp and the police station at Beerwah today. They rained rockets, grenades and fire from automatic weapons on the military camp.

Two soldiers, including a subedar, were killed.

The troops and the local police returned the fire, killing two of the extremists. The gun battle continued for nearly an hour.

Senior army and police officers rushed to Beerwah with reinforcements and encircled the area. A search was mounted, which continued till late afternoon.

Yesterday the terrorists had attacked another army camp at Chokibal in Kupwara district.

Following the series of attacks on military camps since the beginning of this month, the authorities have begun operations to flush out terrorists from their hideouts.

In a major success, troops last night gunned down a battalion commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen identified as Sayed Ali Khan at Village Ganeshpora in southern Anantnag district. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site.

A pro-government militant, identified as Abdul Ahad Rather, was shot dead by terrorists at Village Chaterhama in Srinagar district last night.

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