Alert troops foiled an infiltration bid from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) on Thursday when they killed a heavily armed militant at Keran sector in frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara.
An Army official told UNI that troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) noticed a group of about three to four militants sneaking into this side on Thursday morning in the Keran sector.
However, when challenged and asked to surrender, the militants opened fire, he said, adding the troops retaliated ensuing in an encounter. “One militant was killed in the exchange of fire,” he said, adding the body of the ultra has been recovered alongwith an AK-4 rifle.
“Even though it is presumed that the other militants fled back to PoK, a massive search operation has been launched in the entire woods,” he said.
This is the second infiltration bid foiled in Kupwara in less than a week. Two heavily armed militants were killed on July 11 immediately after they sneaked into this side at LoC at TMG post in Naugam sector, Handwara in Kupwara.
A top Army commander last week said that the launchpads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are fully occupied with about 300 militants, who are trying hard to infiltrate into this side of the Line of Control (LoC).
However, Major General Virendra Vats, GOC 19 Infantry Division, Baramulla, said that the anti-infiltration grid along the LoC is fully operational and alert troops are ready to foil any attempts by militants to crossover to his side.
“We have inputs that the launchpads in PoK are fully occupied. The number of militants present in these launchpads right now is between 250 and 300. They (militants) are trying hard to infiltrate into this side as they have about four summer months left before the passes will be closed due to snowfall,” Major General Vats told reporters during a press conference here on Saturday.
He said Pakistani troops have been frequently violating ceasefire by resorting to heavy shelling and firing to help the militants to infiltrate. “But, this tactic won’t work as our troops are on high alert to foil any infiltration bid,” he added.
UNI ABS