Parrikar asks Army Chief to act against those responsible for Uri attack

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said he has asked Army Chief, Gen. Dalbir Singh, to take action against those responsible for the attack on the army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri town that left 17 soldiers dead.

"Reviewed situation in Kashmir following Uri attack with Army Chief and Commanders. Instructed to take firm action against those responsible," Parrikar said in a tweet.

"The supreme sacrifice of 17 brave Soldiers will not go in vain. My salute to them," he said in another tweet.

Parrikar was in Srinagar following the attack in which 17 soldiers lost their lives, and was briefed by the Army Chief who visited the operation site in Uri.

An army statement later said terrorists were "eliminated within the initial fifteen minutes of establishing contact".

Top officials including Northern Army commander Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda and Chinar Corps commander Lt. Gen Satish Dua briefed the Defence Minister and the Army chief.

The Defence Minister was briefed about the security grid along the Line of Control (LoC) and the hinterland also covering the deployment of the additional forces that have been recently inducted into the valley, the release said.

"The need for heightened vigil both on the LoC and hinterland and to remain prepared for any eventuality was stressed upon," the statement said.

"There have been a number of infiltration attempts that the army has foiled recently. It may be recalled that in the last one week itself, three such attempts were foiled in Kupwara Sector when four terrorists were killed and another group of four terrorists was eliminated in Poonch," it added.

Parrikar later visited the 92 Base Hospital at the Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar and interacted with the injured soldiers.

--IANS

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