Militant killed as army foils infiltration bid along LoC

A militant was killed as army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Friday.

An army official said that soldiers posted in Machil sector along the LoC noticed suspicious movement near the fence in the morning. "The army fired some shots which were retaliated by the infiltrators. The militants fired indiscriminately and in the gunfight that ensued, an infiltrator was gunned down so-far," he said.

The official said that the body of the slain militant has been recovered along with arms and ammunition from the gunfight spot. "We are ascertaining his identity and outfit affiliation," he said.

Sources said that reinforcement was rushed to the area and a massive searches with the help of sniffer dogs was launched to track down the hiding militants."Militants from across the LoC were making desperate attempts to ensure maximum infiltration before the traditional routes close due to snow. Army expects infiltration and coming months would be tough from the security point of view," they said.

A senior army officer said the deployment of additional troops on the LoC along the traditional infiltration routes in north Kashmir this year seems to have paid dividends as more than 70 ultras have been killed at the entry point itself.

"With additional troops, the army has placed ambush parties at new locations and places which militants and there guides don't know till they are trapped. It has helped in bringing down infiltration levels," the officer said.