Three days after Army called off concerted search operation in Keran sector of north Kashmir following massive multi-point infiltration along the line of Control (loC), a soldier was killed on Thursday night while foiling yet another infiltration bid in Kachhal area in Keran sector.
S Patil, a jawan of 15 Rashtriya Rifles, was injured when infiltrating militants opened fire on Army troops, who laid an ambush near the loC at Sundernali in Keran, they said.
Sources said the Army personnel retaliated, forcing the militants to flee to the other side of loC. Patil was shifted to a medical unit where he succumbed to injuries, sources said.
Eight infiltrators and an Army jawan have been killed in the highly rugged terrain since September 24 when well-trained infiltrators supposedly backed by Pakistan’s Special Forces were first intercepted. Five soldiers have been wounded in gunfights so far and are recuperating in Base Hospital at Srinagar.
This is the first fatal casualty in the sector on Army’s side. Army says that they are conducting a “deliberate” operation against infiltrators who are desperate to sneak into Kashmir before the onset of winter season. Even as the Army called off search operation on Keran sector on Tuesday, the area domination based on surveillance and intelligence was continuing in the area.
Army claims that 30-40 infiltrators had sneaked through Keran sector. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the infiltrators belonging to a variety of outfits including leT and Hizbul Mujahideen.