4 security personnel, 3 terrorists killed in J&K

AN OFFICIAL SAID PAK RESORTED TO CEASEFIRE VIOLATION AT THE TIME OF THE GUNFIGHT TO HELP THE TERRORISTS INFILTRATE

Three terrorists and four security personnel, including an officer, were killed when a joint team of the army and the Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Machil sector, officials said on Sunday.

The forces identified one of the deceased personnel as 38-year-old BSF constable Sudip Kumar.

According to officials, a BSF patrol team noticed the movement of the terrorists near the LoC on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.

“The team challenged the terrorists, who then opened fire.

The BSF team retaliated, killing one of the terrorists immediately while the others hid,” said a BSF spokesperson on condition of anonymity. The official added that Pakistan resorted to ceasefire violation at the same time in an attempt to help the terrorists infiltrate.

“During the gunfight, BSF jawan Sudip Kumar received bullet injuries but he continued fighting with utter disregard for his personal safety. He eventually succumbed to the injuries,” the BSF spokesperson said.

Army reinforcement arrived from the nearby forward posts to aid the BSF team and a joint operation began, officials said.

Giving details of the operation, Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said: “Terrorists’ movement was tracked by surveillance devices. Contact was re-established at 10:20 am when heavy fire was drawn by our search parties approximately 1.5 km from the LoC. In the ensuing firefight, two more terrorists were killed.” He added that three army personnel died in

the gunfight.

The operation was underway till the time of filing the report.

On October 10, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of army’s strategic Chinar Corps, Lt Gen B S Raju, said the forces have been able to stop a number of infiltration bids this year. “Last year around 130 persons had infiltrated and this year the figure is below 30. I hope this will also lead to improvement in internal situation,” he had said.

The GOC said the forces were keeping their guard up as hundreds of militants were waiting at the launch pads across the LoC to infiltrate into India. “As per our intelligence, around 250-300 terrorists are ready at launch pads on the Pakistan side to infiltrate,” he said.