SRINAGAR: The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday gunned down five more militants during a gunfight along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector in the Union Territory's north-western Kupwara district, officials here said.
Earlier three infiltrators were killed in a similar clash that took place along the de facto border in neighbouring Baramulla district on October 21-22.
The Army and J&K police officials said in capital Srinagar that the five infiltrators who were killed in the latest gunfight were members of the prescribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). "The joint operation is still going on", said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Kumar.
A defence spokesman added, "Another major infiltration bid from across the LoC was foiled by alert troops in the Machil sector after killing five terrorists".
A statement issued by the J&K police here said that based on an intelligence input generated by the Kupwara police, the J&K police and Army's 56 Rashtriya Rifles successfully foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC. "In this swift and coordinated operation, five terrorists were neutralized".
Giving the details of the operation, the statement read, "After receiving the intelligence input, the joint party of the Kupwara police and the Army (56RR) swiftly launched an anti-terrorist operation during the intervening night of 25-26th October at Sardari Nar area along the LoC in the Machil sector. Besides, multiple ambushes were laid by the joint teams along the LoC. Today (Thursday), the joint team observed movement of terrorists in the thick dense forests of the area who took advantage of difficult terrain to infiltrate to our side. Employing meticulous tactics, the terrorists were intercepted who fired indiscriminately upon the joint team. The fire was retaliated, leading to the elimination of five unidentified terrorists linked with the proscribed terror outfit LeT".
The statement added, "The identification of the killed terrorists is being ascertained. A huge cache of arms and ammunition including five AK rifles and other incriminating materials have been recovered from the site of the encounter".
The statement quoted ADGP Mr. Kumar as saying, "Our intelligence maintains a hawk-eye on LoC. Neutralizing infiltrating terrorists continues along the LoC".
It added, "ADGP Kashmir has appreciated the role of the Kupwara police for generating the actionable input and the role of joint forces for swiftly tracking and neutralizing the infiltrating terrorists to defeat the nefarious designs of inimical elements who are hellbent to disrupt peace and harmony in the Valley".
On October 21, the Army and J&K police had "based on specific inputs from Intelligence agencies and the J&K police of likely infiltration in Baramulla 's Uri sector" launched a counter infiltration operation during which a group of militants was intercepted, leading to a heavy exchange of fire between the two sides. "The intense fire-fight continued till the last light resulting in elimination of two terrorists while the other withdrew to the enemy side of LoC along with the bodies of dead terrorists", the Army had said. The security forces had found two AK series rifles, six pistols, four Chinese grenades, blankets and two blood stained bags containing Pakistani and Indian currency notes, Pakistani medicines and eatables at the site of the clash.
