SRINAGAR – Five Indian soldiers and one civilian have been killed in theongoing military operation to flush out militants holed up near theresidential quarters inside the Sunjuwan Army camp in occupied Kashmirsince Saturday, Times of India has reported.

Four militants have also been gunned down by the security forces.

Earlier today, Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat arrived in the disputedterritory and met senior commanders to take a stock of the situation.

Rajwat said that there was no firing during the night and the focuscontinued to be the evacuation of people from the family quarters.

A group of heavily armed militants struck the sprawling camp of the 36brigade of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) Light Infantry in the early hoursof Saturday, triggering a gun battle which left two junior commissionedofficers and one non-commissioned officer of the army dead.

A high alert has been sounded in the Himalayan region and security beefedup in and around the city.

The militants had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak intothe camp from the rear side of the base after a brief exchange of fire withthe sentry on its periphery.

“The militants entered the family accommodation complex after which quickresponse teams cordoned off the area and isolated the attackers, who areholed up in a few houses [inside the camp],” officials said.

While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were movingalong the Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, security personnel inbullet-proof vehicles engaged in the operation to rescue people from thefamily quarters in the rear side of the base.

Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall andwere keeping curious onlookers at bay to avoid civilian casualties.

On Saturday, two of the attackers in combat gear were gunned down whilenine people – a major, three personnel and five women and children – wereinjured in the day long operation.