On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police announced that a major operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara region resulted in the elimination of five militants who were attempting to cross into the Valley. Security agencies had previously issued warnings about the potential for militants to attempt these crossings before winter snowfall closes off routes.
Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team of security forces initiated the operation on the LoC in Kupwara’s Machil sector, as confirmed by the police on Thursday. During the operation, the team intercepted a group of militants attempting infiltration and issued a challenge. In response, the militants engaged in a firefight.
The police reported that an initial exchange of fire led to the death of two militants, with three more being eliminated later on. These militants were identified as members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
In a statement released on the same day, the J&K Police quoted Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, who confirmed the deaths of the five militants. The statement mentioned that the process of identifying the individuals was ongoing, and a search operation was currently in progress, with further details to be provided.
This recent infiltration attempt was the second such incident within a four-day period. On the previous Sunday, the Army reported the elimination of two militants during an infiltration attempt in the Uri sector of north Kashmir.
Despite a significant decrease in the number of infiltration attempts in the Kashmir Valley over the past two years, security agencies have remained vigilant, anticipating potential militant efforts to infiltrate the Valley prior to the arrival of winter.
A joint security review meeting took place at the headquarters of the Army’s 15 Corps on the preceding Wednesday, focusing on security considerations related to the upcoming winter season.