The Indian Army has foiled a major infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector by eliminating one heavily armed infiltrator while he was attempting to infiltrate into the Indian side.

Sources say that the army noticed a group of three to four terrorists near the Line of Control early morning, one of who came in the line of sight as he tried to cross over to the Indian side. “He was challenged by the alert troops on the line of control, but he started firing, the fire was retaliated in which one infiltrators was killed,” a source said.

Jammu-based defence PRO, Lt Col Devender Anand, said one AK-47 rifle has been recovered from the killed terrorist.

“In the early hours of August 30, a terrorist from across the Line of Control made an attempt to infiltrate in Poonch Sector (J&K). The alert army troops detected the infiltration bid by effective use of the integrated surveillance grid,” he said.

Lt Col Anand said that after being challenged by army troops, there ensued a fierce firefight with the terrorist in which one terrorist was neutralised and his body, along with an AK-47 rifle, was recovered.

“The operation is still in progress in the area. This action by alert Army troops displays resolve of Indian Army to thwart any misadventure along the Line of Control”, he said.

In the past two months there have been several infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control in the Jammu region that have been foiled by the army.

“On July 7, one terrorist was killed in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri. On July 12, three terrorists were killed in Nowshera, Rajouri district (operation started on June 29; July 08: 2 terrorists killed; July 12: one terrorist killed),” a source said.

The source said that on August 6, two terrorists were killed in Thanamandi, Rajouri, and on August 19, another was killed in an operation in Thanamandi area. One army jawan also laid down his life in the operation.

The sources said there are inputs that in coming days there would be an increase in the cross-LoC infiltration attempts as the terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have been reactivated with a large number of trained terrorists waiting for an opportunity to sneak in into the Indian side.

“We have inputs of the presence of large of terrorists associated with various terror outfits in these launch pads and we expect an increase in the infiltration attempt. But we have a robust anti-infiltration grid in place along the LoC and we are always ready to foil any such attempt of the terrorists to cross over to the Indian side,” the source said.