Search operation called off after Baramulla attack, militants escape

Srinagar, Oct 3 (IANS) A massive search operation to hunt down militants who escaped after a failed attempt to attack an army camp in north Kashmir's Baramulla town was called off on Monday morning, officials said.

The search operation, which lasted for more than six hours, was launched soon after a two-hour gunfight outside the camp of counter-insurgency 46 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in Janbazpora stopped late Sunday night, a senior police officer said.

"After six hours, the search operation was called off and traffic restored in the area," he said.

Border Security Force (BSF) Constable Nitin Kumar was killed and Constable Parminder injured when a group of heavily armed guerrillas attacked the camp on Sunday night.

"The two troopers got suspicious of some movement. When they tried to find out the cause, they were fired upon by militants using grenade-launchers. One of the grenades exploded, seriously injuring Nitin," BSF's Kashmir Frontier Inspector General Vikash Chandra told Times Now.

Parminder was hit in his leg. Despite his injuries, Constable Nitin fired at least 20 rounds while Parminder fired 48 rounds.

"Nitin Kumar succumbed to injuries in a hospital. But we repulsed the attack," the IG said.

"We have seized a wirecutter, which points towards the terrorists' intention. They should ideally have been killed, but they escaped due to darkness and ground conditions," the BSF officer said.

The forces are on high alert to face any eventuality, he said.

Police said that 'fidayeen' militants attacked the army camp outpost at around 10.30 p.m. on Sunday.

"They used grenades and heavy automatic gunfire as cover in their attempt to enter the camp," the senior police officer said.

"They first attacked the camp outpost guarded by the BSF but were thwarted by the security forces."

The attack on the 46 RR camp comes in the wake of the Indian Army's surgical strikes on September 29 across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the killing of 19 soldiers by four terrorists in the garrison town of Uri in Baramulla district on September 18.