Army Chief to visit Srinagar today

New Delhi: A day after terrorists targeted four towns in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will visit Srinagar on Saturday to take stock of the security situation in the state that was hit by terror attacks on Friday, claiming lives of 11 security personnel including a Lieutenant Colonel.

This would be his third visit to the terror-hit state in less than two weeks. Army officials remained tight-lipped about his schedule but sources indicated that he will leave for the state on Saturday morning.

His visit comes a day after the attacks and gun battles with security forces in Kashmir valley left 21 people dead, including a top commander of Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT and seven terrorists.

He will be briefed by the Army top brass in the Northern Command about Friday’s situation as well as security scenario in the state that is in the midst of Assembly elections.

J&K witnessed a bloody and black Friday with terrorists stepping up attacks across the valley, just four days before polling is scheduled to be held for the third phase in the five-phased Legislative Assembly elections in 16 constituencies of J&K, where a very high voter turnout was witnessed in the first two phases.

Eight Army personnel, including Lt Colonel Sankalp Kumar, three policemen and eight terrorists were among 21 persons killed in four attacks in Uri, Srinagar, Shopian and Tral despite the presence of large number of Army units, paramilitary forces and state police, who are on high alert.

Eight Army personnel, three policemen and six foreign terrorists were killed in an encounter which ensued after a heavily armed “fidayeen” squad stormed into an Army fortification at Mohura in Uri in north Kashmir district of Baramulla, which is going to polls on December 9.

Eight Army men, Lt Col Sankalp Kumar, Hav Subhash Chand and L/Nk Gurmail Singh of 24 Punjab, while Nk Panna Lal, GNR Manpreet Singh, DMT Kuldeep Kumar, GNR Satnam Singh and L/Nk Sukhwinder Singh of 31 Field Regiment lost their lives in the gun battle.

 

(With PTI inputs)