Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 5: Army last night foiled a major infiltration bid in Tangdhar sector of North Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara. One Army personnel and an infiltrator were killed while other infiltrators managed to flee back under the cover of darkness to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
A senior Army official said here that last night Army posted at Abdullah hut at Gonda post in Tanghdar observed movement of infiltrators and challenged them. He said that the infiltrators fired at Army resulting in an encounter that lasted for several hours right at the Line of Control (LoC).
The officer said that in the morning a massive search operation was launched and a dead body of an infiltrator was found during the searches. He said that during the encounter one Army jawan Naik Rajeshwar Singh of Punjab was critically injured in the encounter. He was evacuated to the hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, the Army officer said.
The Army officer while giving details said that during the night Army observed that two infiltrators, who were injured, were being dragged back near the LoC. He said that these two infiltrators were injured in the encounter and he didn’t rule out the group being larger.
This is the second infiltration bid in last three days as Army said that on Sunday they foiled an infiltration bid in Kamalkote area of Uri in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. However, the infiltrators fled back and there were no reports of any causality.
Tanghdar’s Gonda post area is the favourite route for infiltrators as the area is at an altitude of nearly 14000 feet. The terrain is very difficult and there are big boulders and natural caves which give cover to the infiltrators.
The infiltrators mostly use this high attitude area and tough terrain to avoid detection by the Army. On the other side of the Gonda post is Leppa valley in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Army said large number of infiltrators are waiting on launching pads in Leppa valley for past several months.
Once the infiltrators manage to infiltrate through this sector, they directly land in Rajwar forests which are dense and of late militants have made these forests as their hideout. Last month Army and police in a joint operation killed Abu Hanzala, the Divisional Commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) who had made a permanent base in these forests for past couple of years. He was looking after infiltration of militants into Kashmir valley through North Kashmir. His killing was a major set back to LeT and its plans to infiltrate militants into Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that Army and police have launched a massive search operation against a recently infiltrated large group of militants that is hiding in Chattergul forests of the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal. Two militants of the group were eliminated by the security forces while search for their other colleagues is on.
Army claimed to have foiled majority of the infiltration bids this year but Lt Gen K T Parnaik, General Officer Commanding, Northern Command, said last month that this year, there have been 45 attempts made by infiltrators to come in but figures reveal there were 15 attempts made till June in which 35 to 38 militants have succeeded in infiltrating.
Army said around 550-600 militants are waiting on the launching pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir to fill the void created in the militant ranks due to successful operations across the State since last year.
Police sources said that militants across LoC in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are desperate to send top commanders into Kashmir valley after security forces eliminated their commander during operations conducted since August last year.
Meanwhile, police said that security forces recovered arms and ammunition from Srinagar today.
Police said Srinagar Police and 2 RR, in a joint operation, recovered arms and ammunition concealed in the wetlands of Hokarsar, Srinagar today.
Police said on specific information security forces launched a search operation in Hokarsar wetland, Srinagar and during searches one AK -47 rifle one AK-56 rifle, 40 rounds of AK ammunition, one UBGL grenade thrower, two RDX rods and one detonator were recovered. Police said that arms and ammunition was concealed by unknown militants.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel