Pak Infiltration Bid Fails in Rajouri
3 militants shot dead
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, October 18
The Army today reportedly foiled yet another infiltration bid in the Kas Kancha area of the Keri sector in Rajouri and killed three militants in the process.

Though the Army has accepted the killing of militants, it has not confirmed the reports on infiltration.

Meanwhile, Army sources said the troops of the 2 Sikh Light Infantry manning the LoC in the Keri sector at around 11 am noticed a group of seven to eight infiltrators cutting fence 200 meters inside the LoC.

After spotting the militants, troops challenged them to surrender but the latter resorted to indiscriminate firing on the troops. The troops returned the fire and in the ensuing encounter, which lasted more than three hours, three militants believed to be from the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were killed, the sources said.

An Army major also reportedly suffered minor injuries in his arm and was rushed to the nearby military hospital, the sources added.

The fate of rest of the surviving militants couldn’t be immediately ascertained but is being presumed that they might have fled back into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

After the encounter, the troops cordoned off the area and launched search operation. The bodies of the militants are being retrieved from the fence area, the sources said.

Defence spokesperson D.K. Kachari said three militants have been killed by the troops in the Keri sector. “We are waiting for further details about the incident,” the defence spokesperson said.