Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 30: Two Army personnel and equal number of militants were killed today as Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
A security official said that last night Army personnel deployed at Lakshmir Post of 18 Jat in Tungwalibak in Nowgam sector intercepted a group of 5-6 infiltrators.
The official said that Army challenged the group of infiltrators and they opened fire on them leading to a gun battle. He said that three soldiers were injured and they were immediately removed to nearby Military Hospital.
Two soldiers, identified as Sepoy Babloo Singh, 29, of village Jandipur, Mathura of UP and Sepoy Vishal Chaudhary, 30, of village Ronda, Bullandshahar of UP, succumbed to their injuries. Naik Bijendra Singh who was also injured in the gun battle has been shifted to 92-Base Hospital at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar.
The Army in the morning conducted searches of the area and recovered two bodies of militants. The search for the other militants was going on when reports last reached in.
Reports suggested that this was a Fidayeen squad and Army suffered casualties due to freak weather. They further said that rest of the militants of the group fled back to PoK but Army wants to be sure that the militants have fled back and are not hiding in the woods and have continued its operation.
Army recovered two AK rifles, one UBGL, wire cutters, water proof clothing, dry fruit, energy drinks and Pakistan manufactured medicines from the site of encounter.
A defence spokesman said here that troops noticed suspicious movement along the LoC in Nowgam sector during the intervening night of July 29 and 30 and challenged the intruders, who opened fire. The soldiers returned fire leading to the gunbattle in which two militants were killed. He said two soldiers were also killed while another was injured in the operation which was going on till last reports came in. “Two AK rifles, one UBGL and other war-like stores were recovered from the scene of the gunbattle,” the spokesman said.
This is the second infiltration bid that was foiled by Army since last week in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district. On July 23, an Army man was killed and another injured in Keran sector of Kupwara as they foiled a bid by at least 2-3 militants to enter into Kashmir.
This year infiltration of militants from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has increased. According to figures of Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), 56 militants infiltrated into Kashmir this year till June while the figure of infiltrated militants for whole of last year was 35.
Army said that over 300 highly trained militants are waiting on the LoC at launch pads to infiltrate. These militants are making continuous efforts to enter into Kashmir and Army has intensified its vigil and patrolling along the LoC to foil these attempts.
An Army officer said that the militants are desperate to infiltrate into Kashmir ahead of winter as security forces this year killed 86 militants in the Valley which is highest in recent years.
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