After Government forces resumed their anti-militancy operation in Uri on Monday morning, the body of the fourth militant was recovered near the encounter site, police said.

“The operation was resumed in the morning that is when the fourth gunman was killed. The operation is over now,” Army Spokesperson Rajesh Kalia told ‘Kashmir Vision’ over phone.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commander of the Uri Brigade Harpreet Singh said at a press briefing that the army received the inputs about the presence of four militants in the area near Kalgai camp in Uri sector and subsequently an operation was launched to neutralize the militants.

“Information was received by the Army from the sources about the presence of suspected terrorists in the adjoining area of Kalgai camp. Late in the night of 23 September, army established a cordon by midnight and intercepted the terrorists while they were moving,” Deputy Commander of the Uri Brigade Harpreet Singh said at a press briefing.

Singh said that that during the exchange of fire, the militants took shelter in an inhabited house and took residents as hostages.

“The civilians were rescued and taken out safely in a very deliberate operation,” he said.

While three militants were killed yesterday in the gun-battle, one more body was recovered today afternoon. Three civilians and a soldier were injured in the operation.

“While one terrorist was killed in the morning (today), the rest were killed (yesterday) while moving from one house to another”.

Singh said that the militants took advantage of thick foliage and maize fields and were moving from house to house in the neighbourhood.

He said that the militants had infiltrated well equipped with explosives and intended to carry out a major attack on the army camp at Kalgai.

“The alertness and resilience of the army troops, who engaged and neutralized the terrorists, resulted in foiling another devastating attack in Uri Sector,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, seconding Singh, Director General of Police SP Vaid said the militants were planning a suicide attack like the one carried out on an Army base last year in Uri that left 19 soldiers dead and several others injured.

“A big tragedy has been averted. Like the suicide attack on the Army base last year, they (militants) had a similar plan this time also but police and Army got information beforehand,” Vaid told reporters.

Meanwhile, reports from Uri said that the dead bodies of militants were handed over to local police for burial.

During the encounter four houses were also destroyed, reports added. The houses belonged to Israeel, Ashraf, Bashir and Qasim. Forces also recovered AK-47 rifles, AK-47 magazines, hand grenades, other ammunition and other ‘warlike stores’ from the encounter site.

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