Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 8: Troops foiled a major infiltration attempt aided and abetted by the Pakistan Army along Kanga Nullah in Tarkundi forest area of Balakote sector in Poonch district last night forcing a group of militants to retreat back to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from where they had been launched.
Official sources told the Excelsior that a group of four to five heavily armed militants tried to infiltrate into Indian side last night from Kanga Nullah surrounded by Tarkundi forests of Balakote sector in Poonch district under the covering fire given by the Pakistani troops.
“The heavily armed militants didn’t open firing as this would have exposed them, ” sources said, adding that instead they took the cover given by Pakistan Army and tried to infiltrate along the Nullah between 11 pm to 12 am. The alert Indian troops retaliated firing by the Pakistan Army effectively.
Troops also spotted movement of the militants and opened firing on the direction they were taking in to sneak into the Indian side. After observing alert troops on the Indian side, the militants retreated to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The militants were numbered between four to five and were equipped with arms and explosives. All of them were believed to be Pakistanis.
“Troops successfully thwarted the infiltration attempt by the militants and forced them to retreat to PoK. Had the militants come close to the LoC, they would have been killed but they escaped from a distance,” sources said.
The firing from the Pakistan side stopped immediately after the militants returned, which indicated that the firing from across the LoC was aimed at abetting infiltration by the militants, a plot which was successfully and effectively thwarted by the alert Indian troops.
Pointing out that the Army had realized infiltration plan of the militants as soon as the Pakistani troops started firing late last night, sources said they were anticipating more intrusion bids along the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in the upcoming days in view of Intelligence reports that there had been presence of a large number of militants across the LoC on PoK side.
“There had been confirmed reports that a large number of militants were camping in forward areas of PoK close to Pakistan Army camps awaiting an opportunity to enter into the Indian side. However, alertness displayed by the troops hasn’t allowed the militants to succeed in their plot,” sources said.
They noted that winter in the areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts didn’t matter as there were few passes in the area, which would turn snowbound. Instead, they said, the foggy weather during the winter months helped the militants as visibility was reduced to zero.
“Most of the time, it has been observed that the infiltration attempts rather increased in Poonch and Rajouri districts as well as International Border in Jammu sector during foggy and adverse weather conditions as these areas generally remained free of snow while a number of infiltration routes along the LoC in the Kashmir Valley are closed due to snowfall,” sources said.
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