The Army on Tuesday foiled an infiltration bid by killing five armed militants who had sneaked nearly a kilometre into line of Control in Keran sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The infiltration bid took place when Army Commander lt-Gen Sanjiv Chahchra was in Kashmir Valley first time after assuming the charge of Udhampur-based Northern Army Command.
Col AS Pendharkar, spokesman of Army’s 28 Division told The Pioneer over phone that the infiltrating group was intercepted on the basis of specific intelligence provided by the security agencies deployed along the loC.
“The vigilant troops detected eight to nine terrorists moving in the forest area about 800 meters ahead of the loC. They were immediately engaged by firing from the post located along the fence. The fire was very effective and resulted in the elimination of five terrorists, while the remaining flew towards the line of Control under the cover of thick foliage,” Pendharker said.
He said the bodies of slain militants were not retrieved as the area is inaccessible due to presence of landmines and foliage.
He said the warlike stores are likely to be recovered from the site.
The infiltration attempt was foiled at a time when newly appointed Army Commander lt-Gen Sanjiv Chachra was visiting Kashmir to familiarise with operational situation along the loC and the internal security situation obtaining in the hinterland. lt-Gen Chachra and Srinagar-based XV Corps Commander lt-Gen Gurmit Singh visited the prominent Army formations in north Kashmir and interacted with soldiers deployed in forward areas. “The Army Commander lauded the efforts of soldiers deployed in the difficult terrain along the loC and expressed happiness over the alertness of troops to thwart the infiltration attempts”, a defence spokesman said.
The Army commander’s Kashmir visit is significant against the backdrop of recent attacks on the troops. The Army suffered heavy casualties in Kashmir during two surgical actions carried by Hizbul Mujahideen militants. On May 24, four Rashtriya Rifles soldiers were killed in an ambush in south Kashmir’s Tral pocket. A month later, on June 24, eight soldiers were killed in an attack at Hyderpora on the outskirts of Srinagar city.