Pak violates ceasefire in Leepa, Macchil; BSF jawan killed

Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, July 5:  Pakistani Rangers today fired at Indian positions in North Kashmir’s Nowgam and Macchil sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) killing a Border Security Force (BSF) man.
Sources said that Pakistani Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing at Indian positions in North Kashmir’s Nogam sector in Leepa valley along the  LoC this evening. Abijeet Nanday, of 119 Battalion BSF, was killed in the Pakistani firing.
Indian troops also fired back and intermittent firing continued for several hours. The casualties on Pakistan side were not known. This is the first ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Kashmir this year.
Earlier in the day Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions with small arms in Macchil sector of the LoC on Sonapendi post. However, there was no casualty.  Army also fired back leading to intermittent firing from both the sides.
Immediately after the firing, Army’s 45 RR and 5 Kumaon launched massive searches in the forest area of Lenda Began and Musa Began in Sonapindi fearing that the militants might have sneaked into the area under the cover of firing by the Pakistan Rangers
An Army officer said that since militants along the LoC are trying hard to infiltrate but the tight vigil along the LoC by Army has frustrated them. He said that this year army has further tightened its vigil by strengthening the counter-infiltration grid.
The Army officer said that the firing was aimed at giving cover to the infiltrators.  The Army says that there are over 200 militants waiting on the other side of the LoC for infiltration. They are conducting regular recce for infiltration but Army has foiled their attempts.
This year six infiltration bids by militants along the LoC in Kashmir were foiled by Army in which 12 militants were killed. Army also lost its three jawans while fighting these infiltrators.
The latest infiltration bid was foiled in Torna sector of Uri in North Kashmir on Friday in which 5 militants were killed. However, two dead bodies of the militants and three AK-rifles were recovered from the encounter site.
In the meantime, Army and police have launched a massive operation in South Kashmir’s Shopian forests after a group of militants in combat uniform was spotted in the forest area.
Army’s 44 RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police cordon off forest area adjacent to village Tangutan in Zavoora area of Shopian.
The search operation was launched after specific inputs about the presence of a group of militants that was spotted in the forest area.
The security forces cordoned off the forest area early in the morning. The area has dense forests with bushes that provide natural hiding place for the militants.
Locals said that troops have set bushes on fire to flush out militants who they believed are hiding inside.
Security forces have increased their operations in forest areas of Shopian since a group of militants uploaded their photographs on social networking sites which later went viral.

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