Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: Army today foiled three infiltration attempts by militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir killing four militants and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition.
Army noticed the movement of 4 militants near Atma Post One and Two in Nowgam sector during the night. The troops immediately launched an operation in the area and challenged these infiltrators. They fired at the troops leading to a fierce gun battle during which four militants were killed.
Huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the killed militants which include four AK-47 rifles, one UBGL, 3 radio sets I-com, four antennas, 2 GPS devices, 2 Samsung mobiles, 4 wire cutters, two compasses, 21 AK magazines, 8 hand grenades, 7 UBGL grenades, 554 AK ammunition, 4 rucksacks, 4 pouches, Pakistani made medicines and dry fruit.
Army foiled another infiltration attempt in Gurez sector of Bandipora district by a group of 4-5 militants early this morning. The troops along the LoC at Losar Nallah in Bagtoor area of Gurez sector noticed movement of a group of militants trying to infiltrate. The troops fired at them and they fled back to Pakistan.
Another infiltration attempt was foiled by Army in Tanghdar sector of the LoC in Kupwara district today. A group of 4-5 militants under the cover of darkness tried to infiltrate into the area. The troops of 26 Rajput noticed their movement in Suffer Post area and challenged them. However, they fled back to Pakistan.
The massive search operation in Bagtoor and Tanghdar is going on to ensure that no militant has managed to sneak in.
Baramulla based General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 19 Division of Army, Major General JS Nain said that alert troops along the LoC foiled three infiltration attempts in Kupwara district today killing four militants.
“They, the infiltrators, attempted to infiltrate at three places in 15 Core areas. One at Gurez sector, one at Tanghdar sector and another at Nowgam sector. As I said, all the four were killed at one place (Nowgam) and at another place, the operation is on but they couldn’t succeed in their design and in Gurez, where they had attempted during night time, they fled back once they were engaged but we heard that the two attempts which were made in Tanghdar and Gurez, they have faced lot of damage”, said the GOC.
Major General Nain while giving details of the operation in Nowgam sector said that militants taking the advantage of bad weather and poor visibility tried to infiltrate but alert troops foiled their attempt and shot them down.
“Around 2.30 am on the night of 10-11 September, the troops deployed on LoC noticed the movement of four foreign terrorists who were in intrusion attempt while taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility. After spotting them, the troops deployed on LoC launched an operation and our operation continued from 2:30 am to 11:30 am. During this operation, the four foreign terrorists who had come to attempt intrusion were killed”, he said.
The GOC said that these militants had to carry out big strike on the occasion of Eid to disturb peace. “We recovered huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives from the slain terrorists. Besides this, we recovered medicines and food from them as well. After seeing all these four and the recoveries made from them, it seems they were here to carry out a big operation and that too on the occasion when there is festive environment ahead of Eid in whole Valley… so they wanted to take advantage of peace and calm environment ahead of Eid and carry terrorist activity”, he said.
Major General Nain said that all the four militants who were killed in Nowgam sector were foreigners. “All the four militants killed in Nowgam sector are foreigners and there is no doubt that the operations that we carried out at Gurez and Tanghdar were also (against) foreigners. The terrorists and our enemies who are trying to foment trouble ahead of Eid, they won’t succeed in their malicious designs”, he added.
The GOC said that the militants’ intention was to carry out big attack and it is not clear whether they were Fidayeen or not. “There is no full detail about this group but once we get documents recovered from them, we will come to know about their identification then. After recovering huge cache of arms, explosive and ammunition and food and medicine items, it clearly indicates that they had intended to carry out a very big operation. Rest, it is difficult to say whether they were Fidayeen or not”, he added.
Major General Nain said that the militants try to infiltrate from different areas of the LoC once infiltration bid is foiled in one area. “They, again and again, doesn’t come from single area but as you felt (that they intrude) from Nowgam sector but this sector is a vast area. So, sometimes they try from one area and after failure they go in another area. Usually it has been seen that after failing to infiltrate from one area, they attempt from another. Our troops who are alert and operationally active foil their attempts every time”, he said.
The Army officer said that there are some militants in Baramulla and they would be eliminated soon. “According to intelligence agencies, there is movement of some terrorists in Baramulla-Uri and Gulmarg areas and the Army operations are on. I assure you that they won’t survive for long if they are there (in these areas)”, he said.
The GOC said that the majority of the militants operating in Kashmir are foreigners. “Saying whether foreign terrorists are in majority or locals, is difficult, but a guess can be made by the killings, that is how many of them are foreigners and how many locals. So, we have seen so far that 80-90 percent terrorists killed are foreigners and local terrorists are very low in number”, he said.
Major General Nain said that militants are trying to take full advantage of unrest in Kashmir and are trying to derail the efforts of Government to restore peace in Kashmir. “There are both reasons. At a time when Government and law and order enforcement agencies are making efforts for the quick restoration of peace and normalcy in Kashmir and another thing is that the Eid is ahead, they (militants) are trying to take advantage of both and when efforts are being made to ensure peace and normalcy ahead of Eid, they are trying to derail these efforts”, he said.
The GOC said that more militants are trying to infiltrate into Kashmir to disturb peace. “See, all of us would agree on this that when situation deteriorates, the terrorists and enemy have single aim and that’s pushing more and more terrorists for intrusion on our area and more and more disturb situation. As far as we heard, the area which is in front of our Division, there are around 100-150 terrorists who are looking for chance to intrude”, he said.
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