Two encounters along LoC in Kashmir

Just two days after deadly terror attack on an army installation in Uri, two encounters broke out between infiltrating militants and security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir on Tuesday.

While unconfirmed reports said 10 militants and a solider have been killed in the encounters so far, officials didn’t confirm. Defence spokesman Col S D Goswami said, “Our troops deployed in Uri sector, reacting to a suspicious movement intercepted a group of terrorists near the LoC and foiled an infiltration bid.”

“Another infiltration bid was foiled in Naugam sector (Kupwara). Operations are in progress,” he said without elaborating further.

However, unconfirmed reports said a group of infiltrators was beaten back at Lachipora village, a few kilometres away from the army’s 12 Brigade headquarters in Uri where Sunday’s attack killed 18 soldiers. “In the gunfire exchange, 10 intruders were shot dead by Army’s 10 Dogra unit while the operation is still on,” reports said. A senior police officer wishing anonymity said the encounter started after Pakistani troopers fired on Indian posts along the LoC at Kamalkote in Uri sector. “In the retaliatory action by the Indian Army, some causalities have happened on the other side of the LoC. It was very difficult to confirm how many militants were killed in the encounter,” he said.

As the encounter at Uri was underway, another encounter took place at Neeriyan forest area in Nowgam sector of Handwara in Kupwara district between infiltrators and the army’s 20 Dogra unit. According to sources, one solider identified as havaldar Madan Lal was killed in the encounter which was going on till late in the evening.

The sources said that there could be four to five militants hiding in the area. Following the outbreak of gunfights along the LoC areas, army units launched massive searches in Tangdar, Karnah, Uri, Nowgam and other areas close to LoC.