A soldier and a Pakistani intruder were killed in a gunfight close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday, officials said, indicating the role of Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) in the infiltration attempt, the latest in a series of terror strikes in the Union territory.
Jammu and Kashmir Police and Border Security Force (BSF) arrested militants and recovered arms, ammunition and explosives at a joint checkpoint was established at Reddi Chowkibal market, in Kupwara in June. (ANI)
According to a defence official, “two to three” gunmen crossed the LoC in the Machhal Sector of the north Kashmir district by taking advantage of bad weather and poor visibility and opened fire on a forward army post in Kamakari area.
“Alert troops responded vigorously and in the ensuing exchange of fire, one Pakistani intruder was killed and weapons, ammunition and warlike stores were recovered. The identity of the Pakistani national is being ascertained,” the official said requesting anonymity.
The official added that two army personnel were also injured in the gunfight and one of them later succumbed to the injuries. The other soldier was undergoing treatment at the Base Hospital in Srinagar and was stable.
“All Ranks of the Chinar Corps salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Rfn (Rifleman) Mohit Rathour who laid down his life in the line of duty, today in the Kupwara Sector, on the Line of Control. Chinar Warriors salute his immense valour and sacrifice, express deepest condolence and stand in solidarity with the bereaved family,” the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps posted on X.
News agency PTI quoted an unnamed official as saying that BAT was behind the attack. “Action by Border Action Team has been foiled by alert Indian Army troops in Kamakari sector,” the agency quoted the official as saying. Another official confirmed this to HT.
BAT is a special Pakistani military unit, which includes commandos from the country’s Special Services Group (SSG) and members of terror groups trained in cross-border operations. It has been blamed for attacks on forces in the past also.
“The Indian Army is firm in its resolve and commitment to maintain the sanctity of the Line of Control and defeat the nefarious and inimical designs of the Pakistan Army,” the defence official quoted earlier.
The attack on the army post came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on delivered a strong warning to Pakistan, saying that the Indian Army will crush terror emanating from that country with full force while reminding it of its past defeats on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
“I speak from where the patrons of terrorism (across the de-facto border) can hear me loud and clear,” he said after paying homage to the soldiers killed in the Kargil war that was fought along a 170-km mountain frontier in the summer of 1999. “And I want to tell them that their sinister plans will never succeed. Past attempts made by Pakistan have failed. But it has not learnt anything from history. It is trying to stay relevant through terrorism and proxy war.”
This was the fourth gunfight between forces and extremists in Kupwara in a month. On Wednesday, a soldier and a terrorist were killed in an encounter near the army’s Divar camp in the district. This year, 29 terrorists and four defence personnel have died in separate gunfights in Kashmir. In Jammu, 28 people, including 12 security personnel and five terrorists, have been killed in separate terror strikes and gunbattles this year.
The surge in terror attacks has put J&K on alert and prompted the country’s political and defence brass to review the security situation in the UT. On July 18, the increase in terrorist activities was discussed at a meeting of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi held a meeting with top officers of paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies, and Jammu & Kashmir Police in Jammu on July 20 as he took stock of the situation on the ground.
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