Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 7: Army today foiled an infiltration bid in Keran sector on the Line of Control (LoC), in the frontier district of Kupwara. However, militants managed to flee back under the cover of darkness.
General Officer Comma-nding (GOC) of Srinagar based Chinar Corps, Lt General Subrata Saha, told Excelsior that movement of a group of 2 militants was observed near the fence in Jamma Gund area of Keran sector during last night. He said that the alert troops fired on the militants and they fired back leading to a brief gun battle but the militants fled back towards the other side of the LoC.
The GOC said that searches were conducted in the morning and a wire cutter and a stick was recovered near the fence. He said that they had come to cut the fence which they usually do to infiltrate.
Lt General Saha said that militants are making desperate attempts to infiltrate into Kashmir but the troops along the LoC are alert to foil any of their attempts.
The GOC said that 200 militants are waiting on the LoC for infiltration but they are finding it difficult. He said that Army has observed a lot of movement on the other side of the LoC.
Sources that Army has noticed increased movement of the militants near the LoC on Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) side over past few weeks and have increased vigil so as to foil any infiltration attempts.
Sources said that the 200 militants who are waiting on the launch pads since April this year are mostly concentrated in Neelam valley. However, the intense vigil along the LoC is preventing them from sneaking into Kashmir.
The Army has also intensified its vigil and is conducting massive searches in the forests near the LoC so that even if there is any successful infiltration attempt of militants through nullahas they could be neutralized in the forests only.
Today’s foiling of the infiltration bid is second since yesterday when Army killed three militants near the LoC in Toot Mari Gali sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district previous night. Army noticed movement of a group of 5-6 militants near Atma post approaching near the fence. They were challenged and three of them were killed and others managed to escape under the cover of darkness.
Army this year foiled four infiltration attempts in North Kashmir’s Tanghdar, TMG and Keran sectors killing 8 infiltrators while Army also lost two of its men in last month at Tanghdar and one officer was injured.
Last year Army killed 59 militants along the LoC which is highest so far in past over a decade.
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