Infiltration bid foiled by Indian Army in India's Uri, one soldier killed — What we know so far

In a big development, the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid in India's Uri on Wednesday (Aug 13). The Indian Army, in a statement, said that one Indian Army soldier lost his life. It also said that two terrorists were killed in the same area a few days ago. Search operations are still continuing in the area, added the Indian Army officials.

This morning it was reported that the Indian Army operation is underway in Churunda village along the Line of Control in Uri district of Kashmir. Earlier reports citing sources had said that it was an action by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT). But the Indian Army said later that it was not a BAT operation, and details are being ascertained.

This comes amid tense relations between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April this year. India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan and killing as many as 100 terrorists. Tensions rose after India's action, with Pakistan resorting to drone attacks on civilian and military areas of India's bordering districts. Both countries arrived at a DGMO-level ceasefire understanding after the Pakistani DGMO approached the Indian side after three to four days of intense offensive.

What is BAT?

Pakistan’s Border Action Teams (BAT) are elite units formed to carry out cross-border strikes along the Line of Control (LoC), combining personnel from the Special Services Group (SSG) and terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Mohammad. These teams are reportedly trained by the Pakistani Army and Air Force, and specialise in guerrilla warfare and cross-border raids. Their operations are aimed at disrupting Indian defences and spreading fear, sometimes involving brutal acts such as beheadings.

BAT units typically consist of a small group—around six to seven Pakistani soldiers along with local volunteers—who conduct reconnaissance of weak points along the LoC before executing attacks. Their training spans eight months with the Army and an additional four weeks with the Air Force, as per several reports. On July 27, 2024, a BAT attack in Kupwara injured five Indian soldiers, one of whom later died. Notable past attacks include the beheading of Indian soldiers in 2017 and 2020, and attempted intrusions in 2018 and 2019, which were repelled by Indian forces.