Two Militants Killed As Army Foils Infiltration Bid Along LoC In Poonch

Jammu- Two heavily armed militants were killed as the Army foiled a second major infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir in over a week, an official spokesperson said on Sunday.

The infiltration bid was scuttled in Balakote sector late on Saturday evening and a massive search operation was underway when the last reports were received, the Army spokesperson said.

Earlier on December 29, the Army had foiled an infiltration bid in Krishna Ghati sector.

“At around 7 pm (on Saturday), the alert troops observed suspicious movement of two infiltrators who were trying to sneak across the LoC in Balakote sector. The troops along the LoC and fence were alerted and kept observing the area,” the spokesperson said.

A landmine exploded after it was triggered by the infiltrating militants at around 7:45 pm, he said.

“Own (Army) troops saw the movement near the fence and engaged the terrorists by bringing aimed fire onto them. Once the firing had ceased, our troops on the fence and troops on the LoC readjusted the cordon to prevent their escape,” he added.

A night-enabled quadcopter and other surveillance devices were employed to maintain strict vigil in the cordoned area.

“Troops commenced the search operation at 2 am on Sunday. The search was very deliberate as the area is not only undulating with dense undergrowth but is also heavily mined.

“In the search so far, two bodies have been recovered with weapons, magazines, ammunition and other war-like stores,” the spokesperson said.

The seized arms and ammunition include two AK assault rifles, one Chinese pistol, two Chinese hand grenades and two high explosive IEDs. A mobile phone was also recovered, he said.

The successful operation in Balakote comes barely a week after militants attacked Dhangri village in adjoining Rajouri district on January 1, leaving seven people dead and 14 injured.

A massive search operation is underway in different parts of Rajouri to track down the militants involved in the Dhangri attack.

Commander, Krishna Ghati Brigade, Brigadier R Krishnan said the Army is maintaining high alert based on intelligence inputs of likely infiltration attempts from across the border.

He said the troops thwarted an infiltration attempt in Krishna Ghati sector on December 29 when they opened fire after observing suspicious movement of three to four infiltrators.

“It was about 7:30 pm (on December 29) when troops picked up the suspicious movement. The weather and visibility were bad due to heavy rains. When the individuals reached closer to the fence, they were observed to be crawling.

“The alert sentries challenged the movement and a firefight broke out between the terrorists and the troops in which one or two terrorists were hit but they were pulled back by the other terrorists into the jungle taking advantage of bad weather conditions,” the officer told reporters.

Brigadier Krishnan said the area was immediately cordoned off with additional troops.

“As the weather continued to remain bad and the area was thickly wooded and mined, the search operation was launched on the morning of December 30. During the search operation, blood marks were noticed along with four ‘pithoos’ (pouches).

“Large quantities of war-like stores, clothing and subsistence materials were recovered from the ‘pithoos’,” he said.

The recovered items include two pistols with ammunition, two US-made night vision goggles, one binocular, one camcorder with pictures of the militants and their training, steel core AK ammunition, combat dress and warm clothing, he added.

“These continuous disruptive attempts by terrorists and inimical forces indicate their desperate efforts to hamper the prevailing peaceful and harmonious situation and the ongoing development in the Jammu region,” Brigadier Krishnan said.

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