 Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles Source: Indian Army |
SRINAGAR, India - Six terrorists, including four Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba men and three security personnel, were among 10 persons killed in a fierce firefight at Hayan-Palpora village in Srinagar. Two of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were subsequently identified as Pakistani nationals.
The incident started when a terrorist was arrested following a grenade attack on a police station, during which a policeman was injured. As a result, men of the Rashtriya Rifles and the local police launched a search operation in Hayan-Palpora which resulted in the battle. Following the action, three AK rifles and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered.
Islamic terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba appear to have stepped up their attacks in Kashmir over recent months. There have been a total of 19 massacres staged by the Lashkar-e-Taiba during which a total of 304 Hindus have been killed.
The Rashtriya Rifles is a counterinsurgency force in India that was raised in 1990 specifically for fighting insurgency in Kashmir. The main role of the formation is to allow the Indian Army to ensure its primary task of defending the borders and the state's territory unhindered by action from Pakistani-backed terrorists. The Rashtriya Rifles presently comprises 57 battalions (three more are forming) with a total of 40,000 men. In the event of a war, the Rashtriya Rifles would protect the lines of communication and supplies in Jammu and Kashmir from terrorist attacks.
| 
