Rise in infiltration in view of ensuing winter: Army

Srinagar, Oct 23: The Army today said the recent increase in infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control (LoC) was due to the ensuing winter during which intrusion or exfiltration becomes nearly impossible.

''With these infiltration attempts being foiled, security forces have reduced the risk of any impending terror attack in the Kashmir valley,'' a defence spokesman said.

During the past few days, he said a number of infiltration bids have been foiled along the LoC.

''Recently a group of five militants who attempted infiltration through the Machil sector was eliminated. They were all foreign militants and heavily armed,'' the spokesman added.

While four of these militants were killed on October 18, one was gunned down on October 20.

In an another bid of infiltration in the Uri sector, he said one local and two foreign militants were killed on October 21.

The spokesman said another intrusion bid took place from Gurez sector where militants attempted infiltration making use of heavy snowfall and low clouds with near zero visibility on October 20.

Two infiltrators have been killed and the operation was still in progress when reports last came in, he added.

The spokesman said ten AK rifles, 24 magazines, 637 AK rifle ammunition rounds, two pistols, two pistol magazines, 12 pistol rounds, eight hand grenades, two ground positioning system rhino, four radio sets, one mobile, three wire cutters, Rs 1550 in Pakistani currency, Rs 5,000 in Indian currency, food and medicine packets with Pakistani markings were seized from the encounter site.

UNI