Amid heightened tension along the line of Control (loC) in Jammu & Kashmir, the Army on Tuesday foiled two infiltration bids in Uri and Nowgam sectors of north Kashmir, two days after a deadly strike on the Army Brigade that resulted in the martyrdom of 18 soldiers and killing of four Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) suicide attackers.
Unconfirmed reports said that at least ten infiltrators were killed in Uri, however, Army sources in New Delhi, which had initially put the number of terrorists killed at 10, later clarified that the extent of casualties could be ascertained only after the retrieval of the bodies from the dense jungles and that the operations were still underway. However, the Army confirmed the death of a soldier in Nowgam sector.
Spokesman of the Srinagar-based XV Corps, lieutenant-Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that a group of 10 to 12 infiltrators was spotted in lachipora area of north Kashmir’s Uri pocket in Baramulla district while attempting to sneak into Kashmir Valley. He said the infiltration bid was foiled but remained non-committal on whether the infiltrators were killed or not.
Earlier, there were reports of ceasefire violations by the Pakistani Army in the same sector. lachipora is close to the loC and a few kilometres from battalion headquarters, the site of Sunday’s deadly attack by JeM militants.
In another operation, a group of heavily-armed militants was challenged by the security forces in Nowgam area of Kupwara district near the loC, sources said.
Sources said a group of five to six militants were attempting to sneak in through the Nowgam sector when they were intercepted by the Army. The militants quickly retreated to the Pakistani side. “The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is going on,” sources said.
The latest infiltration bids and ceasefire violations are occurring at a time when India and Pakistan have locked horns on the diplomatic front over the ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley and the deadly attack in Uri. The tension in relationships has heightened at a time when world leaders are assembling in New York to take part in the United Nations General Council summit.
Official statistics say that infiltration attempts from across the loC have increased this year in comparison to the past four years. At least 18 infiltration bids have been foiled this year. However, sources said that a large group of militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen, JeM and lashkar-e-Tayyeba outfits have sneaked in since March this year. The militants have been able to spread through the Valley taking advantage of the current unrest.
A senior BSF official in Srinagar said last week that 25-30 militants have sneaked in during the past two months of unrest in Kashmir Valley.