Summary:
Jammu, Aug 11 (PTI) Two terrorists carried out a "fidayeen" attack on an Army camp in Jammu"s Rajouri district in the early hours of Thursday, killing three soldiers.
Both attackers were gunned down in the four-hour firefight that followed.
"In the early hours on Thursday, alert sentries of the Indian Army post at Parghal, in Rajouri district detected suspicious persons approaching their post taking advantage of the inclement weather and dense foliage," PRO (defence) Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said.
He said the sentries challenged the two terrorists who lobbed grenades while attempting to gain entry inside the post.
However, alert troops cordoned the area and engaged them in a firefight thereby pinning them, he said.
Anand further said in the ensuing gunfight, the two terrorists were neutralised.
Six soldiers of Indian Army were injured in the operation and of them, three bravehearts succumbed to injuries while repulsing the suicide attack, he said.
The army personnel killed were subedar Rajendra Prasad (of Maligoven village in Rajasthan"s Jhunjhunu district), rifleman Lakshmanan D (of T Pudupatti village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu) and rifleman Manoj Kumar (of Shahjahanpur village in Haryana"s Faridabad), he said.
The Indian Army salutes the bravehearts for their supreme sacrifice in line of duty, upholding the highest tradition of the force.
The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty, he said.
According to officials and eyewitnesses, the first gunshot was heard around 2 am when the terrorists attempted to breach the external fence of the camp located at Paragal, 185 km from here.