One Militant Killed, Another Arrested as Army Foils Infiltration Bid in Kashmir
Thwarting an infiltration bid of militants in Kashmir, the army killed one and arrested another on Tuesday.
A defence spokesman said that army personnel guarding the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar, located some 45 kms from Srinagar, saw some heavily-armed terrorists sneaking in to the Indian side and asked them to surrender.
Nonetheless, they opened fire at the army and when it retaliated, one militant was killed and another arrested.
In Keran sector, operations are still on after Monday’s foiled attempt.
In the last two days the Army has been battling a large group of around 10 militants, who came in from the Keran sector in Kupwara district. Two armymen and at least one militant have been killed.
A Deputy Inspector General of BSF OP Tanwar died on Monday when his jeep hit a mine. He was leading a team after militants tried to infiltrate in Samba amidst heavy firing.
Intelligence reports say Pakistan is trying push in a maximum number of militants into Kashmir before infiltration routes get closed by winter snows.
The army has reinforced the three-tier security system along the LoC, fearing large-scale infiltration bids in the Tangdhar, Machil, and Keran and Gurez sectors. Strict night curfew has been enforced, along with intensified patrolling.
In the meantime, Border Security Force (BSF) chief Raman Srivastava accused the Pakistani Army and the Rangers of facilitating infiltration and said that the Indian Army and BSF have been alerted along the border to thwart any bid by a large number of terrorists at different launching pads to cross over.
“We have inputs from various sources that a large number of militants are waiting at different points along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) at different launching pads in Pakistan to enter this side,” he told reporters at BSF headquarters after placing a wreath on the body of DIG O P Tanwar.
Srivastava said that the entire border has been alerted. “The Army has been alerted along LoC. We are alert on IB,” he said. “We are trying to prevent infiltration. We expect a surge in infiltration before snow closes the passes. We know they (militants) are going to try. They have tried in past. We have repulsed them at many places.”
Asked if Pakistani Rangers were involved in facilitating infiltration, the BSF DG said that the Pakistani Rangers and the Army have “always” facilitated infiltration. “You see that it is not an old thing. It is also nothing new.”
To repeated questions on direct involvement of Pakistan elements in triggering the blast in which the DIG was killed and also in facilitating infiltration, he said, “We cannot say it was done by the Pakistani rangers or ISI. We cannot pin point who is directly responsible.”
