This was the third attack against the Army in north Kashmir's Kupwara district in the last three days. Militants fired five rockets, followed by machine gun firing at the garrison, located eight kilometres from Kupwara town. Three of them hit the headquarters' supply depot, where some barracks are also located. A portion of the barracks collapsed.

The attack took place only a few hours after the Shadipora, Keegam attack in which commanding officer 4 Rashtriya Rifles, Colonel Balbir Singh and three other Armymen were killed. A day earlier militants stormed a post at Chack Natnussa of the same battalion and killed five men, including a Captain.

Sources said militants attacked the Brigade headquarters at Trehgam at 8 pm. The militants who wereequipped with sophisticated weapons including rocket-launchers and UMGs attacked the Camp from Kababmarg and Dolipora. Two rockets missed the target and fell near the camp while three hit a Shaktiman vehicle of Army and a barrack in the brigade.

A rocket shrapnel hit the forehead of an Armymen, who was killed on the spot, sources said. Yoginder Singh of 33 (1) FD workshop was killed while Kewal Singh, Parmar Danesh Kumar and Manoj Kumar singh were injured by another rocket fire. A truck driver, Banarsi Das, was also injured in the attack. He was carrying supplies for the Army.

Sources said in all three attacks within two days, militants used the same weaponry. In Chack Natnusa and Keegam attacks, the militants used rockets and UMGs. An Army officer said the militants fired rockets in all three attacks following the UMG firing.

Plan to counter Pak

Union Home Minister L K Advani said in Pune today that the government had drawn up necessary plans to resist further attacks by the Pakistaniintruders. He said that a number of ISI modules have been captured recently. He declined to elaborate on the `ISI modules', but said that ISI had been a serious threat since a long time.