5 Lashkar ultras killed as infiltration bid foiled in Kupwara

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, October 26

Five Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed as security forces on Thursday foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The counter-infiltration operation was jointly carried out by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and intelligence agencies in Machil sector of north Kashmir’s frontier district Kupwara, a police spokesperson said. After receiving an intelligence input, the joint party of the police and Army’s 56 Rashtriya Rifles launched the operation on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in Sardari Nar area, he said.

Besides, multiple ambushes were laid by the joint teams along the LoC, he said. “The joint team today observed the movement of militants in the thick forests. Taking advantage of the difficult terrain, they infiltrated to Indian side. The terrorists were intercepted… they fired indiscriminately at the joint team. The fire was retaliated, leading to the elimination of five unidentified terrorists linked to LeT,” the spokesperson said.

The identities of the slain militants are being ascertained. A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK assault rifles and other incriminating material, have been recovered from the encounter site. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. Extensive search of the area was being carried out, the police said.

Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Kashmir), has appreciated the role the Kupwara police for generating actionable input and the joint forces for swiftly tracking and killing the militants.

AK assault rifles and other incriminating material, have been recovered from the encounter site. Extensive search of the area was being carried out, the police said.

Vijay Kumar, ADGP (Kashmir), has appreciated the role the Kupwara police for generating actionable input and the joint forces for swiftly tracking and killing the militants to defeat the “nefarious designs of elements who are hell-bent to disrupt peace and harmony in the Valley”.

“Our intelligence maintains a hawk eye on the LoC. Neutralising infiltrating terrorists continues along the LoC. Security forces rely on both human and tech inputs to track and neutralise militants attempting to infiltrate from across the LoC,” Kumar said.

Huge cache of arms recovered

• The identities of the slain militants are being ascertained
• A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK assault rifles and other material, has been recovered
• Extensive search of the encounter site is being carried out, the police said