The Indian Army foiled a major infiltration bid in north Kashmir’s Gurez sector killing five infiltrators in a prolonged gun-battle. A heavy cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the slain militants.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar lt Col NN Joshi said a group of five to six infiltrators tried to sneak into Kashmir through Kanzalwan area along the line of Control (loC) in Gurez sector of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. This was the first infiltration attempt through Gurez sector this year. Due to heavy military presence and effective loC fencing, the infiltration has become difficult through Gurez.
Reports say that around 300 heavily armed militants are ready to sneak into Kashmir Valley through
various infiltration routes before snowfall block the mountains that pass along the loC.
A recently captured Pakistani militant has told interrogators
that the militants are selected through draw of lots.
Joshi said the infiltrators were intercepted in Kanzalwan area while they were trying to sneak into this part around midnight. In the initial encounter, two militants were gunned down and a vast area was cordoned off. During a sustained operation throughout the day on Friday, three more militants were killed.
The Army has recovered five AK- 47 riffles, one RPG and one UBGl from the operation site. “We have killed five militants so far. Operation is still going on as there are more militants present in the area,” Joshi said adding there was no casualty on army’s side.
Meanwhile, unknown militants opened fire on a former militant Bashir Ahmad Bhat at Sogipora village near Sopore in north Kashmir late on Friday. He was immediately shifted to hospital.
The authorities put senior separatist leader and chief of all-women Dukhtaran-e-Millat group, Asiya Andrabi under preventive detention to foil her attempt to visit Pattan area of north Kashmir where three Hizbul Mujahideen militants were mysteriously found dead earlier this week. Police says the militants have been tortured and killed in a group clash but separatists have blamed security forces for killing them in custody.
Andrabi has been detained at Women’s Police station Rambagh. The authorities have already filed cases against her for hoisting Pakistani flags and delivering telephonic speech at Jamiatud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Sayeed’s rally in lahore, Pakistan.