Foiling third infiltration bid along the line of Control (loC) in less than 24 hours, the Indian Army on Thursday shot dead three unidentified infiltrators in north Kashmir’s Nowgam sector even as a soldier was martyred in the fierce gun-battle. The Defence sources said that during the past two days the Army has foiled multiple infiltration attempts backed by the Pakistan Army in Kashmir.
They said that the latest infiltration bid was foiled in Nowgam sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, around 130 kilometres from Srinagar. The bid was foiled despite the Pakistan Army providing “active support, including heavy calibre artillery fire, to the infiltrators.
Defence sources said that Pakistani soldiers violated the ceasefire on Wednesday evening as they opened fire at an Indian Post. The firing was followed by terrorists’ attempt to sneak into the Valley.
“In the gunfight that followed three terrorists were killed and we also lost a soldier,” they said. “The ceasefire violation was aimed at giving cover to infiltrating terrorists.”
The slain terrorists were not identified. It was not clear as to which outfit they belonged to. The Army said that arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorist. Sources said that the entire area was cordoned off to track down more members of the infiltration group. However, there was no contact with any terrorist, leading to the suspicion that the surviving terrorists might have gone back.
Spokesman of Udhampur-based Northern Command said that for the last 48 hours Army has killed seven terrorists as Pakistan Army tried to push in terrorists from multiple locations across the loC at Uri in Baramulla district, Nowgam and Machil in Kupwara and Gurez in Bandipore. Currently three counter infiltration operations are underway, he said.
Four terrorists were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight, when an infiltration attempt was foiled in Machil sector of Kupwara district. The combing operation in Machil is still underway, he said.
Another infiltration bid was foiled on Wednesday in Uri sector of Baramulla district. Two Army men were injured in the brief exchange of fire between infiltrators and Army. After the initial contact, a massive search operation is underway for second consecutive day in Uri sector.
On Tuesday, an infiltration bid was foiled in Gurez sector where infiltrators ran back after being challenged leaving behind rucksacks.
“In these operations large quantity of arms, ammunition and war like stores have been recovered,” he said.
Defence sources said that there was an increase in infiltration attempts from across in past one month. They said that around 200 to 250 terrorists are waiting across the loC to infiltrate. Intelligence reports say that around 20 terrorists have so far successfully sneaked into the Valley. Most of the foreign terrorists are operating in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.