Uri attack: Nirmal Singh slams Pak's cowardly act

Stating that Pakistan will have to bear the brunt of Sunday's dastardly terror strike in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh has said such cowardly attacks would not weaken a united India.

Singh, who participated in a peace march held here yesterday to pray for the Uri bravehearts, lashed out at Pakistan for giving shelter to dreaded terrorists.

"The people of all religions in Leh and nearby villages along with members of all political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, PDP, Congress among others, came together and participated in the peace march, against the imprudent suicide attack act carried out by Pakistan in Uri which killed many unarmed, sleeping soldiers," Singh said.

"Wherever there is humanity in the entire world, they are all condemning this act of Pakistan. Today in Leh, the people from all walks of life got together and expressed their solidarity with India and showed their anger against Pakistan and are spreading a message that from Leh to Kanyakumari, India is one," he added.

During the peace march from Leh Gate to Main Bazaar, the locals demanded restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and raised slogans against Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed.

In one of the worst attacks in recent times, as many as 18 soldiers were killed and over 20 others got injured post the terror strike on an army camp close to the headquarters of the 12th Brigade at Uri in Baramulla district on Sunday.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team has begun its probe into the incident. The team visited the encounter site in Baramulla district yesterday in this regard.

Sources said the NIA has filed an FIR in the attack case. The Army will hand over all weapons, GPS, navigation map of terrorists to the NIA for further investigation.

This comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his key ministers received counsel against rash military action. Top military commanders warned that Pakistan's Army had raised its defensive posture along the LoC.

Few details emerged from the meeting, but senior government figures pushed back against calls from their ranks for immediate military strikes against Pakistan.

Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh has warned Pakistan in the wake of the Uri strike and said India reserves the right to respond to any act of the adversary.

"We have the desired capability to reply to such blatant act of violence in a manner as deemed appropriate by us. We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at the time and place of our own choosing," he told the media in New Delhi.