Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: Amid reports of large scale presence of Pakistani militants along the Line of Control (LoC) awaiting infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, Army today gunned down one of the intruder, who was had reportedly been sent for conducting recce of the area to check troop preparedness before the militants could be formally launched into this side.
Army has already said that it was anticipating spurt in infiltration attempt on the LoC as snow has melted, leading to opening up of the passes in higher reaches, which were traditional infiltration routes of the militants during the summer. However, Army has already made extraordinary preparations this year along the LoC to thwart infiltration attempts, which was evident from the elimination of eight terrorists along LoC in the Kashmir valley during past three days.
Sources told the Excelsior that troops, who were maintaining very high alert along the LoC, observed movement in Victor Nullah in Nangi area of Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district at 2.30 am today and fired warning shots initially but as the intruder tried to retreat, they gunned him down when he came within the Indian territory.
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Body of the infiltrator was recovered this morning. Though the intruder was believed to be a Pakistani, his identity couldn’t be established as he wasn’t carrying any identity card with him. He was in possession of some Pakistani currency and Pakistan made toffees.
Sources said the intruder seemed to have been pushed ahead of a militant group by the Pakistani army to conduct recce of the area and check alertness of the troops. The infiltrators might have followed the intruder if he succeeded in reaching close to the LoC. However, as the infiltrator was gunned down by the troops, the militant group was not launched from across by the Pakistani troops, they pointed out.
It was in Krishna Ghati sector that Pakistan army and Border Action Team (BAT) had mutilated two Indian soldiers, leading to heightened tensions between two hostile neighbours on the LoC.
“Such type of techniques like to push an intruder ahead of the militant group for recce of the area and check alertness of the troops, have earlier also been used by the Pakistan army on LoC,’’ sources recalled but said the alert troops have foiled Pakistani attempts, aimed at pushing the infiltrators into this side.
Asserting that there was heavy concentration of the militants on Pakistan side of the LoC, sources said Pakistan army has once again started giving protection to the infiltrators in their forward posts and bunkers to facilitate their infiltration into the Indian territory after getting an opportunity.
However, sources said, Army was maintaining high alert all along the LoC after it carried out two major counter-terrorist operations against Pakistani troops in Krishna Ghati and Nowshera sectors on Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Sources, however, said that an uneasy calm was prevailing along LoC in entire Jammu and Kashmir with Indian troops maintaining high alert in anticipation of infiltration attempts or Border Action Team (BAT) attacks. They added that Pakistan army could target civilian areas in violation of ceasefire agreement in utter frustration.
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan army had shifted back some of the militants from launching pads on its side of the LoC after counter-terror strikes launched by the Indian troops.
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