Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 27: Army today said that Pakistani troops are helping the infiltrators as the group that was eliminated in Tanghdar yesterday was spotted close to Pakistani troops’ camp before it infiltrated into the Indian territory.
This was disclosed by Commander Tanghdar Brigade of Army, Brigadier PK Mishra, in a press conference in the border town of Tanghdar. “I would also like to highlight that the movement of the infiltrating column was also detected from very close to the Pakistani force across the Line of Control,” Mishra said.
“The recoveries are indicative of actively aiding and abetting of this kind of a movement by Pakistan because you see a lot of food items equipment with Pakistan markings on them,” Mishra said.
The Brigade Commander said that Intelligence inputs do suggest that there are a number of groups across the border on launching pads waiting to infiltrate. “We expect that there will be more such bids in the future”.
He said that the troops are vigilant along LoC to foil any such bids or any such attempt. “Our troops are ready to negate any such attempt,” he added.
Asked about Ramazan ceasefire, Mishra said: “We are exercising utmost restraint. As far as ceasefire which has been promulgated by the Government notwithstanding that I would just like to comment that “Action speaks louder than words”. And while we are respecting what has been promulgated, Pakistan obviously does not intend to do so. We had the infiltration bid over the last couple of days”.
Brigadier Mishra said that militants killed in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara district in North Kashmir were armed with modern weaponry and equipment.
The Brigade Commander said that Army had inputs about the infiltrating group and had laid ambushes at various places. “As you already know, that an anti-militancy operation was going on from the last couple of days in Tanghdar sector in which 5 militants have been eliminated. We had credible intelligence inputs that there is likely to be an infiltration in the sector because of which we had placed number of interception groups to trap these militants,” he said.
Mishra said these militants walked into this side on the night of 25 and 26th May, where the ambush was placed and they were challenged. “The militants opened a heavy volume of fire and the militants were engaged by the troops at that point of time,” he said.
“The infiltrators tried to break the cordon and the vigilant troops and the commanders on the ground did not permit them to do so. Later, there was again a fierce gunfight at two locations, the militants had split into two groups and over the next few hours in the early morning of 26th May, five militants were eliminated”, he said.
Brigadier Mishra said: “The troops on the ground have succeeded in foiling the infiltration bid of a group of militants, who were very heavily armed. They had modern weaponry, modern equipment. They were carrying under barrel grenade launchers and we succeeded in eliminating them without any casualties to our troops which is indeed credible.”
He said that the Army recovered a huge quantity of arms, ammunition, food items and other equipment from the possession of the slain militants. “The recovery includes five 7.62 mm AK-47 rifles, one pistol with magazine, eight rounds, carts 7.62 mm AK-47 (546), one UBGL, six UBGL grenades, nine hand grenades and other equipment including medicine and food items”, he added.
“As far as identification is concerned, we have not been able to identify them, these are obliviously foreign militants and their identity would be established by police and other agencies. However, the recoveries and other material carried by them, it seems the group belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit,” Brigadier said.
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