Indian Army troops successfully repelled a major infiltration attempt and Border Action Team (BAT) strike along the Line of Control (LoC) near Tikka Post in the Uri sector of Baramulla district during the intervening nights of August 12 and 13.
The attack, in the Area of Responsibility of 16 Sikh LI (09 Bihar Advance Party) and under Police Station Uri’s jurisdiction, was carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists targeting a forward post. Alert Indian soldiers retaliated swiftly, preventing the infiltration and launching a large-scale cordon and search operation to track militants hiding under the cover of darkness.
During the intense exchange of fire, Havaldar Ankit and Sepoy Banoth Anil Kumar sustained fatal injuries while defending their post. The Army paid tribute to their sacrifice, with General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff, stating that the force “salutes the supreme sacrifice” of Sepoy Banoth Anil Kumar and stands in solidarity with the bereaved family.
The incident comes amid Operation Akhal, launched on August 1 after intelligence inputs about terrorist presence in South Kashmir’s Akhal forest area. The operation has already claimed the lives of Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh and resulted in the elimination of more than five terrorists.
Operation Akhal follows a series of successful counter-terror missions, including Operation Mahadev, which neutralised Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in a massacre near Srinagar’s Dachigam, and Operation Shiv Shakti on July 29, in which two more militants were killed.
