Three Lashkar infiltrators killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, June 24 (UNI) Troops today foiled another infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir when they killed three Pakistani militants, belonging to the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, in a fierce gun-battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Baramulla district, a defence spokesman said.

Based on specific information by the state police about an infiltration attempt by 3-4 heavily armed militants in the Uri sector on the intervening night of June 23-24, troops of 6 Bihar laid an ambush at Gwalta near the LoC, he added.

The spokesman said as a group of three militants sneaked into the Indian side from PoK, troops challenged them.

The intruders opened indiscriminate fire on the troops, which was effectively retaliated, he said, adding in the ensuing gun-battle, three Lashkar militants were killed on the spot.

The spokesman said the militants have been identified, from documents found on them, to be residents of Pakistan and were affiliated with the LeT outfit.

''They were apparently tasked by their masters in Pakistan to spread terror among the innocent civilians with the use of grenades and thus disrupt peace, economic progress and tourism industry in the Kashmir valley,'' he claimed.

However, police identified two of the three slain infiltrators as Mohammad Arif Ganai, a resident of Balpeer in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, and Fayaz Ahmad Khan of Gujranwalan in Pakistan.

Three AK rifles, nine AK magazines, 184 rounds of AK ammunition, two Chinese and 16 Pakistani grenades were seized from the possession of the slain intruders, the spokesman added.

''Killing of Lashkar militants negates Pakistan's claim that there is no infiltration from across the LoC. On the contrary, it bears testimony to Pakistan's continuous designs of creating turmoil in the Kashmir valley,'' he said.

This was one of the many such attempts by militants to sneak into India from PoK in the recent past. Troops had earlier foiled an infiltration bid at Kalbani Nar near the LoC in north Kashmir on the intervening night of June 10-11.

UNI