Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Army today foiled a major infiltration bid by killing five militants in an encounter along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district while militants this evening shot dead a former militant in restive Sopore.
Srinagar based Defence spokesman said here that five militants were eliminated by the Army while they were trying to infiltrate from across the LoC in Gurez Sector. “The alert soldiers thus effectively foiled the infiltration bid”, he said.
“First contact with the terrorists was established late night just as they crossed the LoC, after which an intense gunfight ensued, resulting in elimination of two terrorists. The rest took cover in the rocks and bushes. After a deliberate operation by the Army till today afternoon, three more terrorists were eliminated taking the number of eliminated terrorists to five along with recovery of huge cache of war like stores which includes five AK- 47 rifles, 1 RPG and 1 UBGL”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that the Army is continuing to search and sanitise the area to ensure safety and security of the Awaam.
Sources said that Army’s 36 RR, deployed along the LoC, challenged a group of militants who tried to sneak into this side near Nowshera Nad in Kanzalwan area of Gurez last night.
They said that Army had already information that militants are desperate to infiltrate from Gurez sector of the LoC. They were conducting recee of the area for past several weeks and when they tried to infiltrate Army was waiting for them and eliminated the entire group.
This year 13 attempts of infiltration were made from North Kashmir in which 28 militants were killed by the Army. Last year a record number of 59 militants were killed during infiltration.
Army says that militants are making more attempts this year after the Army intensified its vigil along the LoC. They say over 200 militants are waiting on the launch pads for infiltration.
In the meantime, militants this evening shot dead a former militant and 3-year-old son who was in his lap was critically injured in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The gunmen hurled a grenade at him outside his house and fired at former Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen militant Bashir Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat at Segipora Sopore.
The 38-year-old Bhat and his son were immediately rushed to the sub-district hospital Sopore by his relatives and neighbours where Bhat succumbed. His son Burhan has been shifted to SKIMS hospital in Soura, Srinagar for treatment.
Soon after the incident, Army and police launched searches in the area to nab the assailants.
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