SRINAGAR:After foiling an infiltration bid of militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri Sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, the Army, for the third consecutive day on Sunday, continued its combing and search operation along the LoC to flush out hiding militants, if any.
“Additional troops have been rushed to the spot to assist in the combing operations,” a senior army officer said. The reinforcement was rushed to the Uri sector after the Army foiled an infiltration bid of militants in Uri sector on July 3 (Friday) and killed a militant during the initial gunfight.
The official said no fresh contact has been established with the militants since Saturday when another militant was killed. “So far two militants and an Army man have been killed in the operation,” they said adding three weapons and three backpacks were recovered from the scene of the gun battle.
An Army official said due to the robust counter infiltration grid in place along LoC, the militants failed to breach the security layer and were detected before they could have sneaked.
According to defence sources, it was the sixth infiltration bid to be foiled by the Army along LoC in Kashmir this year. “15 militants were killed while foiling these infiltration bids,” they said. Last year the Army had killed 59 militants along the LoC in Kashmir.
Army men and officials deployed along LoC have been put on maximum alert in view of growing threat of infiltration bids by militants following melting of snow in the upper reaches. A senior army official recently said that about 300 militants are ready to infiltrate into the State to cause disturbances.
Army Hands over PaK Boy
Col N N Joshi o Sunday said Army officials in Tanghdar sector in North Kashmir handed over a 11-year-old boy from Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK), who had inadvertently crossed the LoC two days ago, to Pakistan army officials. “Sameer Kayani son of Mohammad Rafiq from Laswa Athmuqam was intercepted by troop in the forward areas after he inadvertently crossed this side of border on Thursday,” he said.
Joshi said after the boy was apprehended, Indian sent an urgent hot line message to the Pakistan side and informed them about the safety and well being of Kayani along with a request for a flag meeting so that the individual could be repatriated and united with his family. He said the flag meeting was held at the Teetwal Crossing Point in Tanghdar sector on Sunday and the boy was handed over to Pakistan Army officials with new clothes and sweets for the family.