BY SUMIT KUMAR SINGH
New Delhi, The Indian Army on Sunday foiled infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir by around 100 terrorists holed up at six launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, just around eight kilometres from the Line of Control, losing three lives – two armymen and a civilian, sources said on Monday.
The Indian Army stated that tensions on the Line of Control will remain till winter sets in as Pakistan would be make similar attempts to push terrorists in the valley.
The infiltration attempts were made across Tangdhar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district with Pakistan Army starting “heavy shelling and firing, violating the ceasefire on Saturday night to which India retaliated and destroyed four launch pads out of six. The Indian Army used artillery guns to target terrorist launch pads in PoK as terror infrastructure and military installations were heavily damaged.
On Sunday, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said six to 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed and four terror camps were destroyed. Rawat said that apart from Tangdhar terrorists were also coming closer to the forward areas at Keran, Machil and Naugaon sectors.
Indian Army sources said: “We had been monitoring the increased movement of terrorists and Pakistan Army across the other side of the Line of Control and found between 15 to 20 militants were holed up at these six launch pads.”
An attempt to infiltrate terrorists was made in Tangdhar sector at around 11 p.m. on Saturday and it continued till about 10 a.m. next day. Tangdhar sector is close to the Line of Control and has been used as a major infiltration route by terrorists in the past as it is the quickest route to mainland Kashmir.
The main motive was to push in around 100 terrorists and carry out attacks in the valley where no major untoward incident has taken place after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The two Indian soldiers who lost their lives were identified as Hawaldar Padam Bahadur Shrestha and Rifleman Gamil Kumar Shrestha.
When they were hit during unprovoked ceasefire violations in the early hours of October 20, both were evacuated to the Field Hospital in Tangdhar but unfortunately succumbed to their injuries. The Indian Army on Monday paid tributes to the soldiers martyred.
Padam Bahadur was 38-years-old and had joined the Army in 2001. He belonged to Dighali Pather village of Dhansiri tehsil in Golaghat district of Assam and is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.
The 21-year-old Gamil Kumar had joined the Army in 2017 and he belonged to Rampur village of Palpa district of Nepal and is survived by his parents.
