Army foils infiltration bid along LoC in J-K's Tanghdar sector, kills five militants

SRI NAGAR: Foiling a major infiltration bid, Indian Army killed five militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. 

An army official said soldiers guarding the LoC in Tanghdar sector of north Kashmir’s Kuwpara district detected movement of militants in the wee hours on Saturday. The officers kept a watch on the militants’ movement and fired on them when they came in the range, he said.

“The militants returned the fire, triggering an encounter. The exchange of fire between the infiltrating militants and soldiers continued for at least an hour, during which five militants were killed,” he said.

Defence spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said the combing operation in the area was still going on when reports last poured in.

The army had reportedly rushed additional reinforcement to help soldiers on the ground in conducting the searches.

“The soldiers are conducting searches to ensure that none of the infiltrating militant escapes,” Kalia said. 

Saturday’s bid was the second such attempt foiled by the Army along the LoC in north Kashmir in the last two days.

On May 24, an infiltration bid in Keran sector was stopped when the Army fired on militants.

The militants had then returned to the other side of LoC, but left behind some ammunition and equipment, which was seized by the jawans.An army official said troops along the LoC are on alert to foil similar attempts.