Fayaz Bukhari
![Army personnel take positions during encounter in Keran sector on Friday. -Excelsior/Abid Nabi](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/page1-21-300x181.jpg)
Srinagar, Aug 1: Two more infiltrated militants were killed in an operation that was launched by Army near the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of Kupwara yesterday taking the toll of killed militants to four while Army has launched massive search operation for their two associates in Kupwara forests.
Army launched a massive operation in Keran sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district after they noticed movement of a group of at least six militants in Sondi Gali area of Keran sector yesterday.
The operation was launched by 7 Garhwal, 222 Field Regiment and 15 Rashtriya Rifles of Army and they established contact with the militants last evening at around 5:30 p.m. killing two of them.
Two more militants were killed today taking the death toll of the infiltrated militants to 4. These two militants were trying to flee from the cordon but were traced by the army killing them after a fierce gun battle.
The Army after the searches of the area recovered four dead bodies. A senior officer said that all these four militants are Pakistanis and belong to Laskhkar-e-Toiba militant outfit. He said large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from them.
The recovered arms and ammunition includes eight AK 47 rifles, 16 AK 47 rifles, 3 GPS devices, 3 compasses, one Binocular , 5 Quilts, 4 matric sheets, 4 maps and some eatable items.
In the meantime time, Army’s 16 Grenadiers have launched a massive search operation at Kachhama forest area in Chokibal sector of Kupwara district following the inputs that two of their associates are hiding in these forests.
This is the first time that the infiltrators were killed in the operations on the LoC this year. Earlier, troops foiled six infiltration attempts in North Kashmir last month. However, no one was killed.
Army apprehends increased attempts of infiltration along the LoC in Kashmir as militant commanders are desperate to push in as many militants as they can this month ahead of winter and Assembly elections that are slated to be by the end of this year.
The 15-Corps Commander, Lt General Subrata Saha told reporters on the sidelines of a function held at Tosmaidan firing range said that Army has robust counter infiltration groups, intelligence grid and other measures to counter any infiltration attempt from across the LoC. “Due to our robust counter infiltration, we have foiled number of infiltration attempts and also seized weapons,” he said.