Two terrorists killed during infiltration attempt in Kupwara

Two armed terrorists were shot dead by the Army near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Keran sector of Kupwara district on Sunday, during an attempted infiltration into Indian territory.

According to sources, troops deployed along the LoC observed suspicious movement in the North Kashmir area. When the soldiers opened fire in the direction of the movement, the infiltrators retaliated, triggering a gunfight.

Army sources said that two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire. However, no official statement had been released by the Army till late evening.

A search operation was launched in the area to retrieve the bodies of the slain terrorists, along with the arms and ammunition they were carrying. It is believed the infiltrators had crossed over from a terror camp recently reactivated in the vicinity.

Most of the terror camps operating close to the LoC were reportedly destroyed by the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor in May this year. For several months afterward, there was no significant activity. However, intelligence inputs now suggest that these camps and nearby launch pads have once again started hosting militants in preparation for infiltration attempts.

On Saturday, Inspector General (IG) of the BSF Kashmir Frontier, Ashok Yadav, said that attempts to infiltrate usually increase before the onset of winter.

“There are always infiltration attempts before snowfall. We still have about two months, and terrorists know their chances will be limited for the next six months once snow sets in. So, they intensify efforts around this time. But due to the alertness of our forces, it’s very difficult for them to succeed,” Yadav told reporters.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the Border Security Force (BSF) launched a search operation in Samba district along the International Border (IB) after a drone from the Pakistani side was spotted hovering in the area. The drone was seen early Sunday morning in Karalian village, located in the Ramgarh sector.