Four intruders among six killed in J&K; jawan wounded

Srinagar, June 26 (UNI) Troops foiled yet another major infiltration bid when they gunned down four heavily-armed militants in Machil sector of Jammu and Kashmir last night while ultras killed two people and wounded a security personnel in the Valley overnight, an official spokesman said today.

He said security forces guarding the northern sector noticed a group of infiltrators sneaking into this side from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the Machil sector of frontier Kupwara district late last night.

When challenged and asked to surrender near the Line of Control (LoC) on this side, militants opened fire which was returned and in the ensuing fierce gunfight, four intruders were killed.

However, official sources said the slain militants were part of a 14-member group which had infiltrated from PoK.

They said a massive hunt has been launched in the nearby woods to nab the remaining infiltrators.

More than 20 infiltrators were killed by the security forces in northern Kashmir immediately after they sneaked into this side from PoK once the snow started melting on the upper reaches.

Officials said more than 2000 militants, majority of them Kashmiris, were waiting at the launch pads near the LoC to cross over to the Indian side.

Militants also made several attempts to smuggle in arms and ammunition from across the border. However, due to tight security measures, they (militants) had dumped the arms and ammunition near the border in specially-built hideouts.

However, alert security forces busted a number of such hideouts and recovered war like stores, comprising assualt rifles, hundreds of grenades, rockets, explosive material, including the deadly RDX.

The spokesman said militants entered the house of Manzoor Ahmad Rather at Arin Bandipora in north Kashmir and kidnapped him last night. However, his body was recovered this morning from the Bandipora market.

Militants shot at and wounded Ghulam Hassan Bhat also at the main market Bandipora this afternoon. He was shifted to a hospital where he died.

A security personnel was wounded when militants attacked a patrol party at Bader Kali Temple in Handwara area of Kupwara district.

Security forces also returned the fire, but the militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Troops busted a militant hideout at Niboch in Mahore area of Udhampur district in Jammu region and seized one pistol, two magazines and 46 rounds.

UNI BAS MIR RK1856