Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: Army last night foiled a major infiltration attempt by a big group of seven to eight militants along the Line of Control (LoC) at Khala Draman in Balakote sector of Poonch district. Troops neutralized the militants and forced them to retreat to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from where they had been launched.
Reports said troops observed movement of a group of seven to eight militants trying to sneak into the Indian territory from Khala Draman forward area in Balakote sector of Poonch district at 10.30 pm last night and opened firing to neutralize them before they could get inside. The militants finding the troops alert retreated initially.
However, they made another attempt to infiltrate at 11.45 pm from another route at Khala Draman but again found the Army personnel alert. Troops again observed movement of same group of militants through their Night Vision Devices and opened firing on them.
The militants returned to their launching pads in PoK, reports said.
Troops, who were maintaining a very high alert on the LoC, conducted search operations in Balakote sector with the onset of dawn today but there were no footprints indicating any infiltration of the militants. Sources said the infiltration attempt had been successfully thwarted.
The group of seven to eight militants, which tried to infiltrate into the Indian side twice from the LoC last night, was heavily equipped with arms, ammunition and explosives. All of them were believed to be Pakistani nationals of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, reports said, adding the troops didn’t allow the militants to succeed in their nefarious designs.
There had been reports that the militants were getting desperate to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which were due later this year. The militants wanted to disrupt the elections.
This year, there had been no successful infiltration attempt on the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri so far through a number of intrusion bids had been made by the militants. Troops have ensured that the militants didn’t manage to intrude into this side.
According to reports, a number of militants were active on launching pads close to the LoC on Pakistan side opposite Poonch and Rajouri awaiting an opportunity to sneak-in but they were unable to get the opportunity.
Reports said there was no ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army during twin infiltration attempts by the militants.
Intelligence agencies already had reports that the infiltration attempts could go up in the next few months as the Assembly elections draw nearer. Security forces have devised their strategy to counter the infiltration attempts.
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