Two army men killed in Pakistani BAT attack along LoC

One intruder killed in retaliatory action by Indian army

In second such attack in less than two months, Pakistani soldiers on Thursday carried out an attack 600 metres inside Indian territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir killing two Indian soldiers.

An Army official said Pakistan troops carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on forward posts on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector at around 2 pm on Thursday. “Simultaneously, a Border Action Team (BAT)of Pakistani army launched an attack on a patrol operating in between the two posts 600 metres inside the Indian territory. The Indian troopers bravely repulsed the attack, but two of our jawans lost their lives," he said and added one intruder was also killed in the retaliatory action by the Indian army.

The official said the firefight was going on as Pakistani posts were resorting to heavy firing. “The operation is in progress and heavy exchange of fire is going on,” he said and identified the slain troopers as Naik Jadhav Sandip and Sepoy Mane Savan from Maratha Light Infantry.

Sources told DH the ambush, carried out by the BAT of the Pakistan army, could have inflicted more damages if Indian troops weren't alert. "After the last attack in the same area, the Army is on high alert and are ready to thawrt BAT attacks. However, as Pakistani army gave covering fire, the BAT wearing black combat uniform could cross over the LoC. They assulted Indian Army’s Area Domination Patrol but had to retreat after retaliation," they said.

Defence experts say that the Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG) forms the core of the BAT, besides, dreaded terrorists from Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad outfits, for trans-LoC action up to a depth of one to three kilometres. "As Indian posts are closer to Pakistan in Poonch sector, the rugged terrain and thicker forests gives BATs an advantage to escape. The BAT usually mutilates the bodies of Indian soldiers to wage psychological warfare,” they said.

On May 1 this year, Pakistani BAT had crossed into the Indian territory near LoC in Krishan Ghati sector of Poonch under the cover of heavy shelling and beahded two Indian soldiers. Indian Army had vowed to exact revenge for the mutilation of the bodies during this well-planned BAT raid.

On May 23, Indian Army released a video of a massive fire assault on Pakistani posts which was a message that it would take firm action on locations across the border from where terrorists were infiltrating into India.

Earlier, on 8 January 2013, Pakistani BAT had decapitated bodies of two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh after entering into Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch. On May 26, Army foiled a similar BAT attack along the LoC in Uri sector of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, killing two militants.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the army foiled an infiltration bid in Kupwara district of north Kashmir by gunning down one militants. "A group of militants tried to sneak in from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir but the bid was foiled by the alert troops. One terrorist has been killed and the operation is on," defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.