Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 23: General Officer Commanding (GOC) 10 Infantry Division, headquartered at Akhnoor, Major General AK Dhar said today that militants have been adopting new strategy of planting mines and then firing on the Army personnel to force infiltration into this side but added that Army was successfully foiling all such bids by the ultras.
Inter-acting with media persons at Akhnoor after paying floral tribute to martyr Army soldier Naik Mong Chon B, who was killed at forward village of Chakla in Pallanwalla sector while thwarting infiltration attempt by the militants, Maj Gen Dhar said: “planting mines and then opening firing simultaneously to infiltrate into this side is new strategy of the militants but we have been able to thwart such attempts’’.
“There has been a kind of an infiltration attempt which was thwarted and in the bargain this boy has lost his life. He was a brave soldier but in this kind of firefight one should be prepared to lay down his life,” the GOC said after paying glowing tributes to the Army soldier before his body was sent to his native town of Aniangan, Noklak in Tuensang district of Nagaland.
“The operation is still on we are still searching for militants. We have to see how many can we get hold of. Putting mines and then trying to fire simultaneously is their strategy. That area is across the river and it’s such a thick jungle area that you cannot really see anything more than three to four yards. So we are facing this kind of problem in searching through the militants,” the Army officer said.
“Of late, they (militants) have been putting mines and then trying to fire at (troops guarding the LoC) and infiltrators take mileage out of this strategy,” Major General Dhar said.
Earlier today, Maj Gen Dhar laid wreath at mortal remains of Martyr soldier at 170 Military Hospital, Akhnoor. Chong of 3 Naga had attained martyrdom yesterday in the exchange of fire between Army and infiltrating militants in Pallanwalla sector along the LoC.
Replying to the question on yesterday’s attack on Indian troops during an infiltration bid by the militants, the Army officer said, “There has been a kind of an infiltration attempt which was thwarted and in the bargain this boy has lost his life. He was a brave soldier.”
He said “the operation is still on. We are still searching for militants.’’
Major General Dhar said: “that area (terrain of operation) is across the river and it is such a thick jungle area that you cannot really see anything more than three to four yards. So we are facing this kind of problem in searching the militants.”
Many of the high ranking officers of the Indian Army attended the wreath laying ceremony of the martyred soldier at Akhnoor.
Meanwhile, Army last night foiled a major infiltration attempt by the militants in forward area of Tarkundi along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector in Poonch district.
Official sources said a group of six to eight militants tried to infiltrate into the Indian territory from forward area of Tarkundi at 11.30 pm. The Army jawans opened firing aiming the direction the militants were taking to sneak into this side.
The firing continued for about 40 minutes after which the militants fled back to PoK taking cover of darkness and adverse weather conditions.
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