Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 8: Army today killed three infiltrated militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
A Defence spokesman said here that three militants were killed and their bodies and weapons were recovered during an operation in North Kashmir’s Tanghdar forests today. He said that the operation is in progress.
An Army officer said that 3 AK-47 rifles, 3 pouches, 3 UBGLs, 3 wireless sets were recovered and a temporary hideout was busted in the Gagadori forest area this afternoon.
The Army’s 4 Para, 3/1 GR, 5/5 GR and 20 RR launched a massive operation early this week against a group of around 7 militants who infiltrated into Tanghdar forests last week.
The infiltrated militants were trapped in the Gagadori forest area on August 6 leading to a gun battle in which one Army jawan, Naik Damoder Thapa of Nepal, was killed. The militants managed their escape into the dense woods and Army continued their operation.
After the killing of Army jawan, reinforcement was sent to the forest area and the massive operation was launched against the infiltrated militants. The Army established contact with the militants this afternoon and killed three of them. They also busted a temporary militant hideout.
An Army officer said that militants had taken shelter in a temporary hideout in the forests and fired upon troops when the search party found them. The Army returned the fire leading to a gun battle in which three militants were killed.
The Army officer said that all the three militants are Pakistani nationals and belong to Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit. He said that the identity of the militants is being ascertained.
The officer said that the operation has been suspended for the night and in the morning it will be resumed as four militants of the group are still hiding in the forest area.
Last week four militants were killed in a fierce encounter with the Army in the Tanghdar sector. These militants had infiltrated from PoK recently.
During past one month there have been at least eight infiltration attempts by the militants from across the LoC to infiltrate into Kashmir during which Army shot dead 4 infiltrators near the LoC in North Kashmir.
Army sources say that militants are desperate to infiltrate and they will try their best to do maximum infiltration this month ahead of assembly elections scheduled for the end of this year.
Army has intensified its vigil along the LoC and in the forest near the LoC to prevent infiltration of militants into Kashmir.
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