Srinagar: The army claimed on Wednesday, July 25, to have shot dead an unidentified militant in an ongoing counter-insurgency operation in Lolab of north Kashmir where three infiltration bids have been reported in fewer than 10 days.
An army officer, who was injured in the encounter, also succumbed to injuries, officials said.
A senior police officer said that security forces and suspected militants exchanged gunfire on Tuesday near Trimukha Top which links Lolab region with the Bandipora and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir. An army camp is also located in the vicinity of the area where the encounter took place.
The officer said that the operation was put on hold on Tuesday night due to darkness and additional reinforcements were rushed to the area to prevent the militants from escaping.
“The operation resumed on Wednesday morning which led to the killing of an unidentified militant while a non-commissioned officer (NCO) of the army was also injured in the gunfight,” the officer said.
The NCO later succumbed to injuries, the army said.
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The latest bout of violence in Kashmir comes at a time when militancy has reared its dangerous head in Jammu region where a soldier was killed in a fourth incident of infiltration by militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Tuesday.
Earlier, two infiltration bids were foiled in the Keran sector of Kupwara on July 15 and July 18 in which security forces claimed to have gunned down three and two suspected militants, believed to be foreigners, respectively whose identities have not been disclosed so far.
One of the most scenic places in Kashmir Valley, Lolab Valley, which falls in the Machil sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, used to be a transit point for militants infiltrating from across the LoC.
Due to its dense forests, thick foliage and inhospitable terrain, it offers the best chances of survival for infiltrators once they have crossed the de-facto border between India and Pakistan in north Kashmir.
However, Lolab has been relatively peaceful in recent years. Following the reading down of Article 370, the administration has promoted the region as an offbeat tourist destination and hundreds of thousands of tourists come to spend quality time here every year, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Last year, Lolab was awarded the ‘Best Offbeat Destination in India’ award by Outlook magazine.
The encounter at Trimukha Top has raised apprehensions that a group of militants may have succeeded in crossing into Kashmir Valley. The LoC sees maximum infiltration attempts during June, July and August, when snow in the highlands begins to melt, opening a brief window for Pakistan to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir.
The exchange of gunfire in Lolab took place a day after an infiltration bid was foiled by security forces along the LoC in Battal forward area of the Krishnagati belt in Poonch district of Jammu where a soldier was grievously injured.
The victim identified as Lance Naik Subash Kumar later succumbed. The violence follows a spate of attacks on civilians and security forces by a group of militants who have opened a new theatre of conflict in Jammu division by taking refuge in the dense forests of Poonch and Rajouri districts of Pir Panjal region.
At least 49 soldiers have been killed in less than three years in Jammu division where militancy has made a stunning comeback after years of relative calm. This has prompted the security administration to consider deploying additional 3000 troops and 500 para commandos in the region.
This article, first published at 12.55 pm on July 24, 2024, was updated with the news of the soldier’s death and republished at 4 pm on the same day.
