Intrusion bid foiled amid firing, shelling
Militants taken to IB to identify spot of arms dropping by drone
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 19: Three infiltrators were believed killed while four Army personnel sustained injuries, one of them seriously, as troops thwarted infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) in forward village of Jogma in Khour sector near Akhnoor last night.
Reports said Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling at forward village of Jogma in Khour sector of Akhnoor last night with a view to push trained militants into the Indian territory. The Indian Army retaliated.
Four Army jawans were injured in the shelling while there were reports that at least three militants who were being pushed into the Indian territory under the cover of firing were killed in retaliatory action.
Injured Army jawans were evacuated from the forward area. While three of them were admitted in the Military Hospital Akhnoor, another was airlifted to the Military Hospital Udhampur in view of his serious condition.
The Army jawans admitted in the Military Hospital Akhnoor were responding to the treatment and their condition is stated to be stable.
“At least three armed infiltrators have been killed in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops,’’ sources said, adding their bodies were lying on the LoC but haven’t been picked up by the Pakistani troops so far.
Pakistan army’s shelling and firing were aimed at pushing trained militants into the Indian territory but their attempt was foiled. The possibility of one or two infiltrators retreating to Pakistan under the cover of Pakistani firing is not ruled out.
The infiltrators, according to sources, were well-trained cadre of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit and were trying to intrude with a view to either reach South Kashmir using Pir Panjal mountains from area near Sunderbani or they might have intentions to disturb Republic Day celebrations in Jammu. However, the alert Army personnel have successfully foiled the infiltration plot.
Asserting that this was rare infiltration attempt using Khour-Pallanwalla sector, bordering Sunderbani area of Rajouri district, sources said this area isn’t a normal intrusion route. However, rarely, the Pakistan army resorts to shelling and firing in this area to target civilian areas in frustration after they suffer casualties.
During past quite some time, even shelling and firing have become very less in Khour-Pallanwalla belt. Infiltration attempt by the militants from this sector was aimed at giving element of surprise to the Indian troops. But, the Pakistan army didn’t succeed in their designs.
In the past few weeks, Pakistan army has tried to abet infiltration attempts by the militants from the LoC in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch under the cover of heavy shelling and firing.
Few days back, Army had foiled similar infiltration attempt on the LoC in Rajouri district in which at least four militants and two Pakistani army personnel were killed.
There have been repeated intrusion attempts under the cover of shelling and firing by the Pakistan army in Rajouri and Poonch districts but all of them have been thwarted by the troops. In some of the attempts, the militants have been killed or injured while in others they retreated to Pakistan.
“Number of militants have been camping at launch pads on the LoC waiting to intrude into the Indian territory,’’ sources said.
Meanwhile, police and Special Operation Group (SOG) teams today took two arrested militants of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit to the International Border (IB) in Vijaypur sector of Samba district for identification of the spot from where they had picked up weapons dropped by drone by the Pakistani Rangers which were recovered from their possession yesterday in Ramban district.
“The spot has been identified,’’ sources said, adding it will be shared with the Border Security Force (BSF).
As reported today, two Jaish-e-Mohammed militants arrested in Ramban district yesterday had disclosed that they had picked up the consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives from the International Border in Vijaypur sector of Samba district and were taking it to Kashmir.
They revealed that the weapons had been dropped at the International Border by the Pakistani Rangers using drone
The weapons have been recovered by Ramban police and SOG from the possession of arrested militants, who belonged to Kashmir.
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