Nine militants killed in different encounters in J&K

Nine militants were on Saturday killed in separate gunbattles with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, including five ultras who were attempting to infiltrate from across the LoC in Kupwara sector.

Srinagar: Nine militants were on Saturday killed in separate gunbattles with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, including five ultras who were attempting to infiltrate from across the LoC in Kupwara sector.

The infiltration bid was scuttled in Keran sector, 140
km from here, defence spokesman Lt Col J S Brar told a news agency.

He said troops deployed on the Line of Control observed
movement of militants from across. As the group tried to cross
the border, they were challenged and fired at by soldiers.

Five militants were killed on the spot. A large quantity
of arms and ammunition were recovered from them, he said.

Today`s incident raised the number of infiltrators gunned
down in the sector in four days to eight, the spokesman said.

The Army scuttled the first infiltration bid from across
the border on March 24 when they shot dead two infiltrators in
the same sector. Another militant was killed in the same
sector yesterday.

In separate incidents, four Lashker-e-Toiba militants
were killed in fierce shoot-outs with the security forces in
Rajouri and Kishtwar districts.

In an operation by the police and army in Baji Mahal
forest in Dharamsal, about 146 km from here, two LeT
militants, part of a group of seven to eight ultras, were
killed. Two AK rifles and some ammunition were seized by the
forces.

The gunbattle was still continuing when last reports came
in from the area.

Another encounter took place between security forces and
militants in Dool area of Kishtwar district this morning in
which two LeT militants were killed, officials said.

The militants were identified as Nisar and Rehmatullah,
they said and added an AK rifle, one pistol, ammunition and
explosives were recovered.

The infiltration bid and encounters come in the backdrop
of Army chief General Deepak Kapoor telling reporters in the
national capital yesterday that "Infiltration has increased in
Jammu and Kashmir this winter in comparison to last winter.
But we are fully capable of handling the situation."

Intelligence reports have also suggested that a large
number of militants were waiting in the wings near the LoC to
cross over to this side to step up violence in the state.

Usually, infiltration attempts pick up in late April but
early melting of snow this season due to rising temperatures
encouraged the leadership to push militants early, official
sources said.

Official sources said that the two militants killed in
the Dharamsal operation could be Pakistanis.

Also among the recoveries from the site of the encounter
were two AK rifles, one chinese pistol, six AK magazines,
three pistol magazines, 217 AK rounds, 90 pistol rounds, two
Icom sets, two Nokia mobile sets with Pakistani SIM cards,
portable Thuriya solar charger and a Garmin GPS.

Four grenades, one Thuriya set, two matrix sheets, two GB
MP player (made in Pakistan), perfume, eatables, mosquito
repellents, sweaters, socks, toffees, shawl, combat jackets
and haversacks (all made in Pakistan) were also recovered,
they said.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Kuldeep
Khoda complimented his force for the successful operations and
asked the police and security forces to maintain pressure on
the militants.

DGP also complimented security forces for foiling an
infiltration bid and killing five militants in Kupwara sector
of Kashmir.

PTI

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