Five militants, five soldiers killed as Army foils infiltration bid in J&K

Five unidentified militants and an equal number of soldiers were killed as the Army foiled an infiltration bid by ultras along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Sunday.

Défense spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia while confirming the killings, said, “A group of terrorists made an infiltration attempt in the Keran sector. Alert troops braving the inclement weather and hostile terrain killed five militants.”

He said three soldiers were killed in the operation and few others wounded. “The evacuation of the injured was hampered due to heavy snow and rough terrain conditions,” Col Kalia said and added the operation was underway.

However, late in the evening, sources said, two more soldiers succumbed to their injuries taking the total of slain army men to five. The operation was called off with the killing of five infiltrated militants, who four days back made an attempt to sneak in, they said.

“The operation is over and the security forces have started to move down along with the bodies,” sources added.

On Saturday evening, the army had rushed elite paratroopers to Rangdoori, Guguldara and Teen Behak area of Jumgund in Kupwara. Sources said that firing continued throughout the night, reaching at peak wee hours of Sunday.

The operation was launched initially by army’s 8 JAT after intercepting a group of militants on Wednesday. Besides, they said, the searches continued along Awaoora, Kumkadi, Zurhuma, Safawali, Batpora, Haihama areas by the joint team of army’s 41 and 57 Rastriya Rifles, 160 Territorial Army and J&K police.

With cornavirus pandemic spreading chaos everywhere, the Pakistan army is trying to take advantage of the crisis and push militants into Jammu and Kashmir. In the recent days several attempts were made by the infiltrators with Pakistani army giving them covering fire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.