Two ultras killed as army foils infiltration bid

Two unidentified militants were killed as army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Tuesday.

An army official said that the soldiers posted in Keran 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, two infiltrators were gunned down," he said.

The identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants was not known immediately.

Sources said that reinforcement was rushed to the area and searches with the help of sniffer dogs was launched to track down the hiding militants, if any.

"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.

Meanwhile, the army on Tuesday claimed to have killed a heavily-armed militant along the International Border in Akhnoor sector of Jammu.

The infiltration bid came after a series of ceasefire violations by Pakistan which left three army soldiers and a porter dead and three BSF soldiers injured since Friday.

"An armed intruder was noticed trying to infiltrate into this side in Pallanwalla area of Akhnoor sector and was challenged by the alert army personnel," an army officer said.

"The intruder opened fire and a gunfight ensued in which he was killed. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition including an AK assault rifle and a pistol were recovered from him," the officer said.