SRINAGAR: Security forces on Wednesday foiled a major infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of north Kashmir, killing two heavily armed militants in a gunfight that lasted over two hours, officials said.
Addressing a press conference, Commander of the 161 Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Mayank Shukla, said that the operation was based on consistent intelligence inputs received over the past week regarding a possible infiltration by Pakistani militants. He said the infiltrators were reportedly planning a significant terror attack to disrupt peace in Kashmir.
“Given the credible inputs, we enhanced both aerial and ground surveillance. Special focus was laid on sensitive points along the LoC in the Uri sector,” Brigadier Shukla said.
He said that the movement of the militants was first detected around 1 am on the intervening night of April 22 and 23 near the Uri nallah, close to suspected enemy launchpads. Upon detecting suspicious movement, the surveillance grid, including drones, was activated, and ambush parties were swiftly redeployed to intercept the infiltrators.
Brigadier Shukla said contact with the militants was established at around 3 am. “A gun battle ensued, lasting for over two hours, which ultimately resulted in the elimination of both infiltrators,” he said. “Subsequent search and sanitisation operations were carried out in the dense forest area to ensure no remaining threat.”
Security forces recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the slain militants, including two AK-series rifles, a 9mm Chinese pistol, several magazines, and an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing approximately 10 kilogrammes. Police are in the process of identifying the militants.
“This successful operation sends a clear message to inimical forces. It reflects the high level of coordination between various security agencies. We remain committed to maintaining peace and preventing any attempt to disrupt normalcy in the region,” the Brigadier added.
The infiltration attempt occurred just hours after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, and left several others injured. (KNO)
