Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 22: Army today thwarted an infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) along Dadot Nullah in Tarkundi forests of Balakote sector in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. Troops have been conducting massive searches along the LoC in entire Balakote sector to ensure that the militants didn’t manage to sneak in during the night. An Army Havaldar was injured in encounter with the militants.
Official sources said troops observed movement of a group of four to five militants trying to enter inside the Indian territory from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) along Dadot Nullah in Tarkundi forests at 8.45 am today. Army personnel immediately opened firing aiming the direction the militants were taking to enter into this side.
The militants retaliated, leading to brief exchanges in which Army Havaldar Shiv Ram was injured. He was evacuated from the site of firing and admitted in the Military Hospital.
Sources said the firing stopped at 9.30 am.
However, again the Army personnel saw some suspicious movement in the forests at 11 am and opened firing immediately. Thereafter, the Army sealed all infiltration routes including Dadot Nullah, Kanga Gali, Rani Gali and Tarkundi forests in Balakote sector of Poonch district and launched massive search operations.
Sources added that the infiltration attempt has been foiled and that the militants had managed to escape back to PoK taking the cover of forest area.
The searches were being conducted to ensure that there was no fresh infiltration attempt during the night, they said, adding the troops didn’t find any traces during the searches, which could indicate that the militants had managed to intrude into this side.
The searches were going on when the reports last came in.
SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain said police parties were also conducting searches in the interior areas but there were no trace of militants.
Army’s Public Relations Officer (PSO) S N Acharya said the troops foiled an infiltration attempt by the militants at 8.45 am.
“Our troops detected suspicious movement in forward area and opened firing. The exchange of fire took place. Searches in the areas were on,’’ Mr Acharya said.
Sources said that the group of militants, which attempted to infiltrate into this side, comprised four to five ultras, who were equipped with arms and explosive devices. A couple of militants had also opened firing on the Army in an attempt to force their infiltration into this side. However, alert troops didn’t allow the militants to succeed, they added.
Tarkundi forests had often been targeted by the militants for infiltration into this side but the strengthened positions by the troops have not allowed them to succeed. Troops have been maintaining a high alert along the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri to ensure that the infiltration attempts by the militants backed by Pakistan Army or the militant commanders didn’t succeed.
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