SRINAGAR: Alert Army troops foiled an infiltration bid and shot dead two terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday morning, even as two-three terrorists, believed to be trapped in Parigam village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district where an encounter broke out late Sunday, remained untraceable during a combing operation in the area later in the day.
A top police officer said the terrorists holed up in Parigam likely managed to give the slip to security forces and escaped — taking advantage of a vast paddy field and the darkness — after the anti-terror operation was suspended for the night. Searches at the encounter site in the morning yielded no results despite drones being used.
Meanwhile, Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said that an AK-47 rifle with two magazines, 30 rounds, two hand grenades, and Pak-origin medicines were recovered from the spot where the infiltrators were slain.
“Intelligence inputs received from multiple agencies and police revealed the presence of terrorists waiting to cross the LoC from opposite own Balakote sector, based on which the surveillance grid was placed on heightened alert and multiple teams were deployed at suitable locations,” Lt Col Bartwal said.
On Monday morning, alert troops detected two terrorists trying to cross the LoC and enter Indian territory, taking advantage of inclement weather, dense fog, thick foliage and undulating terrain in Balakote’s Hamirpur area, the spokesperson said, adding that as the terrorists approached the sites where Indian troops were positioned, they were challenged and engaged with effective fire. The terrorists tried to flee, but one of them sustained bullet injuries and fell near the LoC.
Additional troops were then moved into the area and search operations were launched after the weather conditions and visibility improved, following which the cache of arms and ammunition was seized, Lt Col Bartwal said. “During subsequent searches, blood trails leading to the LoC were detected. As per intelligence inputs, the two terrorists were injured in gunfire but still managed to return across the LoC where they later succumbed,” he added.Additional troops were then moved into the area and search operations were launched after the weather conditions and visibility improved, following which the cache of arms and ammunition was seized, Lt Col Bartwal said. “During subsequent searches, blood trails leading to the LoC were detected. As per intelligence inputs, the two terrorists were injured in gunfire but still managed to return across the LoC where they later succumbed,” he added.
A top police officer said the terrorists holed up in Parigam likely managed to give the slip to security forces and escaped — taking advantage of a vast paddy field and the darkness — after the anti-terror operation was suspended for the night. Searches at the encounter site in the morning yielded no results despite drones being used.
Meanwhile, Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said that an AK-47 rifle with two magazines, 30 rounds, two hand grenades, and Pak-origin medicines were recovered from the spot where the infiltrators were slain.
“Intelligence inputs received from multiple agencies and police revealed the presence of terrorists waiting to cross the LoC from opposite own Balakote sector, based on which the surveillance grid was placed on heightened alert and multiple teams were deployed at suitable locations,” Lt Col Bartwal said.
On Monday morning, alert troops detected two terrorists trying to cross the LoC and enter Indian territory, taking advantage of inclement weather, dense fog, thick foliage and undulating terrain in Balakote’s Hamirpur area, the spokesperson said, adding that as the terrorists approached the sites where Indian troops were positioned, they were challenged and engaged with effective fire. The terrorists tried to flee, but one of them sustained bullet injuries and fell near the LoC.
Additional troops were then moved into the area and search operations were launched after the weather conditions and visibility improved, following which the cache of arms and ammunition was seized, Lt Col Bartwal said. “During subsequent searches, blood trails leading to the LoC were detected. As per intelligence inputs, the two terrorists were injured in gunfire but still managed to return across the LoC where they later succumbed,” he added.Additional troops were then moved into the area and search operations were launched after the weather conditions and visibility improved, following which the cache of arms and ammunition was seized, Lt Col Bartwal said. “During subsequent searches, blood trails leading to the LoC were detected. As per intelligence inputs, the two terrorists were injured in gunfire but still managed to return across the LoC where they later succumbed,” he added.