Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 6: Army today foiled a major infiltration bid by heavily armed militants along Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara sector of North Kashmir in which one Army jawan was killed.
A Defence spokesman said here that a group of militants attempting to infiltrate was intercepted early morning today by alert troops deployed on the LoC in Kupwara sector.
“In the ensuing encounter one soldier, Sepoy Ramesh Chand Yadav sustained a bullet injury. While being evacuated, the brave young soldier succumbed to his injuries and attained martyrdom. Operation continues”, the spokesman said.
Sources said that alert troops deployed in the forward posts beyond LoC fence in Kupwara sector noticed movement of at least 8 highly armed militants at Gujjar Dok in Thanda Pani forests near the fence.
The Army challenged them and they opened fire on troops leading to a fierce gun battle in which one solider was critically injured. He was being evacuated to hospital but he succumbed to injuries. Sources said that the gun battle is going on and the forest area is dense and there are boulders as well which are giving natural cover to the infiltrators. They said that more troops have been rushed to the area to eliminate the militant group.
It may be mentioned here that last week Army launched a massive operation in North Kashmir’s Kupwara forests after reports of infiltration of a militant group in the area from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said that a group of at least 10 militants of LeT had infiltrated into the forests of Budnambal during the intervening night of April 18 and 19. Army’s 19-Maratha initially conducted operation against them. However, after they failed to trace out the group, another operation was launched by Army’s 28-RR, 18-RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Police, Kupwara, in Patushai, Kantpora and Shumbreyal forest areas. Reports said that the group is still in forest area and has not yet come out into hinterland.
Army had already inputs that the militants may try to sneak into Kashmir in large numbers this year after they conducted successful operations by eliminating around 32 militants this year.
Army inputs suggest that the number of militants on the launch pads across the LoC has increased in recent months. During this year’s winters, 50-70 militants were at the launch pads in PoK ready for infiltration into Kashmir and the number has now gone upto over 170. These militants are on 12 launch pads that are in PoK near the LoC and the maximum increase has been observed in Neelam valley launch pads.
Last summer, there were 500 militants waiting for the infiltration on the launch and this year numbers may increase as they are desperate to infiltrate more militants into Kashmir due to successes achieved by the security forces against them.
Army has already intensified its vigil along the LoC to prevent any infiltration from across the LoC as there was less snow on the LoC.
Last year, infiltration was down by 50 percent due to strengthening of the counter-infiltration gird along 400 kilometer LoC in Kashmir. The Multi Agency Centre (MAC) figures of last year put the infiltration figures of 2015 at 35.
According to the MAC figures, 65 militants infiltrated into Kashmir in 2014, 97 infiltrated in 2013, 121 in 2012, 52 in 2011, 82 in 2010, 99 in 2009 and 27 infiltrated in 2008.
In the meantime, three police men were injured in a militant attack at Chadoora on Srinagar-Charar-i-Sharief road in the Central Kashmir district of Budgam today.
Police said that militants hurled a hand grenade on a police party at Chadoora Chowk resulting in injuries to three police personnel.
The injured were identified as constable Shabir Ahmad and Maroof Ahmad of Armed police and Manzoor Ahmad of local police station. People present in the area ran for safety after the blast, sound of which was heard in the entire area.
Security forces immediately launched a massive hunt to nab the militants responsible for the attack.
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