Militants waiting near launching pads: Army

SRINAGAR : A day after the killing of five infiltrators on the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Tangdhar sector, the Indian Army said that several groups of militants are waiting at launching pads to sneak into the Valley.

The army also claimed that the latest weaponry was recovered from infiltrators and infiltration took place close to a Pakistani post.

On Saturday, the army killed five militants believed to be foreigners who had sneaked into the Valley after cutting barbedwire fencing along the LoC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara.

“We had credible inputs about the infiltration. We detected their movement on May 24 on the icy peaks. An ambush was laid at several places and the infiltrators walked into it. When they were challenged, they retaliated and started a gun fight,’’ said Brigadier PK Mishra, commander of the Tangdhar Brigade. “The infiltrators divided into two groups and even tried to withdraw but alert troops foiled that attempt and all were killed.”

Mishra said that five weapons and a lot of other arms and ammunition, with Pakistani markings on them, were recovered from the possession of infiltrators. “The infiltrators have not been identified but it seems that they are foreigners and the items recovered indicate that they are affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).’’

The Army officer said they have strong intelligence inputs that many infiltrators are waiting at launching pads close to the LoC. “There are many groups of infiltrators who are waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate. This group even sneaked close to the Pakistani post,’’ he added.

After this incident, the army has stepped up vigil along the LoC, especially in North Kashmir’s Kupwara sector. Last week, the army said that another infiltration bid was foiled in Keran sector and that infiltrators, after an exchange of fire, were forced to retreat into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).