Intrusion attempt foiled in Poonch, 2 terrorists killed

Scuttling an infiltration attempt, the Army killed two suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Wednesday morning.

The incident comes two days after the security forces eliminated three hardcore terrorists, who were involved in the Pahalgam attack, in a forest in Srinagar.

The operation, codenamed Shivshakti, was launched after credible intelligence inputs were received by military units and the J&K Police regarding the presence of terrorists in the Degwar area along the LoC.

In an initial statement on X, Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said, “Suspected movement of two individuals was observed by the troops along the fence in the Poonch Sector. Gunfire exchanged.”

“In a successful anti-infiltration operation, the troops of the Army eliminated two terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control. Swift action and accurate firepower thwarted the nefarious designs,” another statement read.

It further said synergistic and synchronised intelligence inputs from the intelligence units and the police led to a successful operation.

Jammu-based defence spokesperson, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, said, “In a fierce gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists along the LoC on Wednesday morning, two terrorists were neutralised and large quantity of war-like stores seized. The swift, coordinated and decisive action by the security forces prevented any collateral damage and ensured the safety of the local population.”

The terrorists suspectedly belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit. A cache of arms and ammunition, including two assault rifles with ammunition, one pistol with ammunition, hand grenades, two improvised explosive devices, medicines, a communication device and other logistic stores was seized. The huge recovery of war-like and logistic stores indicates that the terrorists were well-prepared for prolonged engagement.

Lt Colonel Bartwal said, “The operation highlights a high level of synergy, coordination and commitment on the part of the Army and other security agencies towards maintaining peace and security in the region. Operation Shivshakti is a major setback to the nefarious designs of Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisations that are constantly abetting acts of terror in J&K. A search operation is in progress in the surrounding areas to rule out the presence of any more terrorists in the area.”