Srinagar: Nine terrorists were on Saturday killed in separate gunbattles with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, including five ultras who were attempting to infiltrate from across the LoC in Kupwara sector.
The infiltration bid was scuttled in Keran sector, 140 km from Srinagar, defence spokesman Lt Col JS Brar said.
He said troops deployed on the Line of Control observed movement of terrorists from across. As the group tried to cross the border, they were challenged and fired at by soldiers.
Five terrorists were killed on the spot. A large quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from them, he said.
Saturday's incident raised the number of infiltrators gunned down in the sector in four days to eight, the spokesman said.
The Army scuttled the first infiltration bid from across the border on March 24 when they shot dead two infiltrators in the same sector. Another terrorist was killed in the same sector on Friday.
In separate incidents, four Lashker-e-Toiba terrorists were killed in fierce shoot-outs with the security forces in Rajouri and Kishtwar districts.
In an operation by the police and army in Baji Mahal forest in Dharamsal, about 146 km from Srinagar, two LeT terrorists, part of a group of seven to eight ultras, were killed.
Two AK rifles and some ammunition were seized by the forces.
The gunbattle was still continuing when last reports came in from the area.
Another encounter took place between security forces and terrorists in Dool area of Kishtwar district this morning in which two LeT terrorists were killed, officials said.
The terrorists were identified as Nisar and Rehmatullah, they said and added an AK rifle, one pistol, ammunition and explosives were recovered.
The infiltration bid and encounters come in the backdrop of Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor telling reporters in the national capital on Friday that "infiltration has increased in Jammu and Kashmir this winter in comparison to last winter. But we are fully capable of handling the situation."
Intelligence reports have also suggested that a large number of terrorists were waiting in the wings near the LoC to cross over to this side to step up violence in the state.
Usually, infiltration attempts pick up in late April but early melting of snow this season due to rising temperatures encouraged the leadership to push terrorists early, official sources said.
Comments
0 comment