Uri, Sep 28: The army on Tuesday claimed to have carried out a successful anti-militancy operation in a period of nine days along the Line of Control in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir by killing seven heavily armed militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit and capturing another one live in the area.
Addressing a press conference at Uri, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Baramulla based- army’s 19 Infantry Division, Virendra Vats, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the operation started on September 18, when alert troops detected the infiltration movement flowing which an encounter broke out by the infiltrators and more reinforcement was mobilized.
“The infiltrating group comprised six infiltrators and two of them managed to sneak into the Indian side while four others went back, taking advantage of darkness. Two militants who were in the process of crossing the fence sneaked into this side and once we realized all this, additional forces were mobilized but given that the civilian population’s maximum restraint was exercised to avoid any collateral damage during the operation. All this happened the night of September 18,” he said.
The GoC also said that two of the infiltrators were holed up in a Nallah at Salamabad and the contact was established again on September 25 and one of them was killed on the September 26 morning, while another one pleaded to spare his life and he was accordingly apprehended.
“The apprehended militant identified himself as Ali Babar Patra, 19, son of Late Muhammad Lateef resident of Dipalpur district Okara of Punjab Pakistan, he has admitted that he was the member of LeT and was trained by the outfit,” the GoC said.
Given the recoveries made from the slain militants, the GoC said that it is quite possible that these infiltrators had come here for some kind of major strike which seems beyond the weapon supply drop.
“This infiltration attempt was made in the area of Salamabad Nallah, this is the same area through which we have had a history of infiltration in 2016 that is when a suicide attack on Uri Garrison took place,” the GoC said.
He said that it has also been revealed that this infiltration group was supported by the Pakistani side by three porters who had come to the LoC along with supplies.
“What we have also seen is that there has been a lot of movement in the launch pads across the LoC. An infiltration was also made when three militants were neutralized in the neighboring area recently, which shows the desperation of the neighbouring country whenever there is peace and stability in Kashmir,” said the army officer said.
He claimed that in the last seven days seven militants have been neutralized and one has been apprehended and five of these neutralizations have taken place near the Line of Control. “The major recoveries that have taken place include 7 AK series rifles, 9 pistols and revolvers and more than 80 different kinds of grenades and some Pakistani and Indian currency.” The GoC 19 Infantry division said that the operation was over in the area now—(KNO)