SRINAGAR : A soldier was killed and two jawans were injured when a group of infiltrators attacked an Army patrol party near the Line of Control (LoC) in the frontier district of Kupwara, Defence ministry spokesman Colonel N N Joshi said today.
Official sources said with the first light this morning, troops again launched a massive search operation against militants in the dense woods at Taya in Tangdhar sector in the north Kashmir district of Kupwara.
The Operation was stopped late last night due to darkness to avoid any more casualties, sources said, adding that reinforcement was rushed from nearby camp and cordon in the area was further tightened to foil any militant attempt to escape.
They said a group of about 5 to 6 militants had infiltrated into this side from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the intervening night August 7-8 in Tangdhar sector. However, troops guarding the LoC challenged the militants and asked them to surrender at Taya top woods.
They said militants resorted to indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, resulting in on the spot death of rifleman Bashir Ahmad War and a tracker dog who was pressed into service to track the militants.
Two security personnel, identified as Havaldar Rajinder Singh and Lance Naik K Ram, were injured who were later airlifted to 92 Base Hopsital at the headquarters of 15 Corps here.
Since it was very dark and dense forest, search operation was stopped late last night though entire area remained under cordon after reinforcement was rushed there.
This was the second infiltration attempt in Tangdhar sector during the past three weeks as on July 23, two militants and as many security personnel were killed in a fierce encounter.
For the past about one year, it has been noticed that due to very tough and rugged terrain militants are using this route to infiltrate into this side from PoK, where a large number of militants are waiting at launch pads for an opportunity to sneak into this side before the higher reaches are closed due to snowfall.
This year, about a dozen infiltration attempts were foiled by alert troops on the LoC, killing 17 militants. (AGENCIES)
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