Suspected terrorists have attacked adjoining Army and Border Security Force (BSF) camps in Baramulla of north Kashmir in India, about 50 km from capital Srinagar. A gun battle is on and heavy firing and loud grenade blasts have been heard, report agencies.
At least one Indian Border Security Force (BSF) member was killed and another injured in the attack, said Indian media outlet NDTV. After over two hours of intense gun battle the firing had stopped and that the situation was "contained and under control", the news agency said quoting the Indian Army.
"One BSF man has been killed and another injured," Imtiyaz Hussain Mir, senior police superintendent of Baramulla town, where the attack occurred, confirmed AFP. Border Security Force (BSF) troopers are also stationed at the camp, along with the army.
"Terrorists opened fire on an army camp in Baramulla town," Colonel Rajesh Kalia told AFP.
"An exchange of fire between soldiers and attackers is still on," he said.
It was not immediately clear whether the attackers had breached the perimeter of the army camp and neighbouring paramilitary Border Security Force camp, but local media quoted residents as saying that explosions could be heard.
Reports said about three to four suspected militants in two groups attacked the 46 Rashtriya Rifles camp, a counter-insurgency unit of the Indian Army, and the adjacent BSF camp in main town Baramulla at about 10.30 pm yesterday.
The attackers have not managed to enter either camp, sources said. They first reportedly hurled grenades and opened fire at the gate of the Army camp and were engaged in a gun battle by both Army and BSF soldiers.
The camp is located in Janbazpora on the outskirts of Baramulla city, 54 km from capital Srinagar. The armed assailants tried to enter through a public park near the camp, but were stopped. They then took positions on the banks of the Jhelum river, the Bandipora police control room said.
Sources said the terrorists are suspected to have entered India from Pakistan across the Jhelum river. Two weeks ago, four alleged Pakistani terrorists had sneaked into an Army base in Uri, also in Baramulla district, and killed 19 soldiers. Security forces have been on high alert since the Uri attack.
On Thursday last week, the Indian Army said it had conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control against teams of Pakistani terrorists waiting to infiltrate into India with the aim of attacking various places in Jammu and Kashmir and also several metros. However, the Indian claims were rubbished by Pakistan Army.
At least two Pakistan Army soldiers were also killed as Indian troops opened fire on the first line of defence, claimed Pakistan.
An Indian soldier was captured by the Pakistan army, while Indian soldiers were also killed in the episode of firing across the LoC, said Pakistan Army.
An Indian army official based in New Delhi said, “It is confirmed one soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistan side of the Line of Control”.
Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange fire across the disputed border known as the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, but sending ground troops over the line is rare.
The move followed the deadly attack on one of India's army bases in Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants, triggering a public outcry and demands for military action.
The September 18 raid on the Uri army base by militants hurling grenades left 19 Indian soldiers dead in the worst such attack in more than a decade.
A number of armed separatist groups in the Indian-controlled part of the picturesque territory have for decades been fighting to break free from New Delhi.
Islamabad has dismissed last week's talk of surgical strikes across the heavily militarised LoC as an "illusion" and said two of its soldiers had been killed in small arms fire. India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbours, have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain seven decades ago, two of them over Kashmir.