Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 22: Army today said that infiltration of militants from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has increased due to early winters and less snowfall but added that the counter-infiltration grid along the LoC is strong to foil such attempts.
Brigadier Rajeev Puri, of Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, today told a news conference in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district at 8-Sector headquarter that as compared to last year the infiltration of militants into Kashmir from PoK is on higher side. “As compared to last year the infiltration is on higher side”, he said.
The Sector Commander said that early summer, less snowfall in winter and pressure on them to infiltrate are the reasons for the increased infiltration.
“It has lot of many reasons including early onset of summer this year, we had less snowfall this year and that is why the infiltration has been on higher side as compared to last year. They have also pressure to send more and more militants”, he added.
Brigadier Puri said that militants are trying hard for more infiltration but the counter-infiltration grid along the LoC is strong. “They are trying to send more infiltrators but our counter- infiltration grid is strong and that is why few days back an infiltration bid was foiled in Uri area and they went back”, he said.
The Sector Commander said that there are around 225 militants operating in Kashmir valley. “There are 200-225 militants operating in Kashmir as per the intelligence agencies and we can’t pin point district wise figures as they keep on moving from one area to other and they have no boundaries. In Kupwara there are more foreign militants, mostly belonging to LeT”, he added.
The Sector Commander said that the militant group which was killed yesterday at Drugmulla in Kupwara had infiltrated recently. “These militants had come from Pakistan and few days back only they entered this area and from which location they came here is being ascertained. We are conducting analyses of the war like stores”, he added.
While giving details of the operation in which five militants were killed yesterday at Drugmulla, Kupwara, Brigadier Puri said: “We received information about presence of 4-5 terrorists hiding in a house at Chek Drugmulla. The Rashtriya Rifles and SOG launched an operation and cordoned off the village. The cordon was effective and at around 7: 30 a.m. we started searches of the suspected houses. Our party came under heavy fire and we tightened the cordon and evacuated all the civilians from the area and fire fight continued till about 5:30 p.m. During the fire fight, 5 terrorists who have been identified as Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists have been eliminated and huge war like stores were recovered. The warlike stores are an ample proof that they have been trained across and then brought to this side. The major recoveries are – 5 AK-47 rifles along with 457 rounds of ammunition, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), 3 radio sets, 3 GPS devices, Maps, Matrix sheets, hand grenades and UBGL grenades. These were the major warlike stores that were recovered.”
The Sector Commander said that Army lost one of its jawans during the operation. “The operation was terminated last night and we have called off the operation. We suffered two casualties, one war minor casualty and he is absolutely hale and hearty now, the other casualty, I am sorry to say, we have lost few hours back in 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar. Brave Naik Pandu of RR suffered a bullet injury and we lost him this morning. We salute him”, he said.
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