Terrorists hiding in an abandoned army bunker in Arnia continue to exchange fire with soldiers
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived to address an election rally in Udhampur, 60 kms from Jammu, terrorists hiding in an abandoned army bunker continue to exchange fire with soldiers. Major ceasefire violations by Pakistan this morning have seen its troops targeting border outposts at Arnia, where a group of terrorists crossed into India on Thursday morning.
Officials say of that group, one or two who have survived nearly 24 hours of gun-battle with the army are holed up in the bunker. Since yesterday, four militants, three soldiers, and five civilians are reported killed in the encounter, now in its second day.
The militants were dressed in fatigues which look like army uniforms; top army officials said Pakistani troops violated the cease-fire at the border on Thursday morning to provide cover to the militants as they crossed over into India. The infiltrators opened fire at an army column on patrol near Arnia, just two kilometres from the border. Then they managed to enter the bunker that was not in use by the army.
The attack yesterday coincided with the SAARC summit in Kathmandu which was attended by the heads of eight member nations, including PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. The summit, aimed at boosting trade in the region, was over-shadowed by the tension between the Indian and Pakistani leaders, who finally shook hands at a photo-op to mark the end of the summit after cold-shouldering each other.
Tension peaked last month when 20 civilians were killed in the worst violence in over a decade at the Kashmir border.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are voting over five days for their next government. Polling began on Tuesday with a record turnout of nearly 72 percent. Results will be declared on December 23.