JOIN USArmy troops today foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Poonch district, killing a suspected militant who was in an army fatigue.
A patrol party of Barasingha Battalion of Army came under fire at Sunigali forward area of Mendhar sector at about 0850 hours today, PRO, Defence, Lt Col Manish Mehta said.
The troops, who were 300 metres inside Indian territory, took positions and retaliated, resulting in heavy exchanges with the suspected militants, he said, adding that one infiltrator was killed on the spot.
From the encounter site, troops recovered a body of an alleged infiltrator besides one AK rifle, four magazines, 28 rounds, two hand grenades, one GPS besides among other items, Lt Col Mehta said, adding he was wearing combat dress and good quality trekking shoes.
According to defence sources, a group of three to four militants in combat dress made a bid to infiltrate into the Indian side under the cover of firing by Pakistan troops in violation of ceasefire.
While one militant was killed, others escaped back to Pakistan, they said.
It is believed that militants entered into Indian territory to either infiltrate into this side of LoC in Poonch or they could have come with a design to plant IEDs on patrolling track to target Army troops, they said.
On June 12, 2014, an Army jawan was killed and three others injured in a blast triggered by an IED attack by militants along LoC in Gambhir battalion area in Poonch district.
An Army jawan was killed and two of his colleagues were injured on May 18, 2014 when militants triggered an IED explosion targeting a patrol team along the LoC in Akhnoor area of Jammu district.