Army ignored Intelligence despite inputs on Uri

The terrorist attack on an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri took place in spite of two critical information alerts of such an impending strike.

Just a few kilometers away from the Line of Control (LoC) and close to the border from three sides — Hajipir, Kamalkot and the Kaman post — Uri always lacked strategic locational advantages from the military point of view and is prone to attacks.

On Friday, the Intelligence Bureau had passed on specific information to the Army that a group of terrorists had been sighted near Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad city, a known launchpad for militants waiting to infiltrate.

Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), a former corps commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, tweeted on Sunday: “Uri attack, this is my old HQ. Warned the Cdr specifically on 8 Sep. Happened in 10 days. Done to remove pressure from hinterland Army move”.

And true to the warnings, at dawn on Sunday, four terrorists armed with AK-47s fitted with Under Barrel Grenade Launchers and a big cache of grenades, attacked an Army battalion centre in Uri killing at least 17 soldiers from the Bihar and Dogra Regiments and injuring about a score.

Unconfirmed reports said four Para Commandoes were flown in who stormed the building where the terrorists had positioned themselves and gunned them down but not before a good three-hour gunfight from 5.30 am to 8.30 am.

Multiple sources in the Army and in the intelligence agencies told this newspaper that in all probability the terrorists had sneaked in across the LoC on Saturday night.

“This is a classical tactic deployed by terrorists from Pakistan in the past. To sneak in the night before from across the LoC and then to attack early in the morning when the soldiers wake up and attend to their morning ablutions. The soldiers are unprepared, unarmed and at their vulnerable most”, the sources said.

The planned attack took place in the rear of the Army administrative base.