Says infiltrating group was possibly going to carry out major strike in Kashmir
Tasaduq Hussain
Uri, Sep 28 (KNO): The army on Tuesday claimed to have carried out a successful anti-militancy operation in a period of nine days along the Line of Control in Uri Sector of Jammu and Kashmir by killing 7 militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit and capturing another one live in the area.
Addressing a press conference at Uri, General Officer Commanding (GoC) 19 Division, Virendra Vats, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the operation started on 18th September when alert troops detected the infiltration movement flowing which an encounter broke out by the infiltrators and more reinforcement was mobilized.
“The infiltrating group comprised of 6 infiltrators and two of them managed to sneak into Indian side while four others went back, taking advantage of darkness. Two militants who were in the process of crossing the fence, they sneaked down this side and once we realized all this, additional forces were mobilized but given that the civilian population maximum restrain was exercised to avoid any collateral damage during the operation. All this happened the night of 18th,” he said.
GoC also said that two of the infiltrators were holed up in a Nallah at Salamabad and the contact was established again on 25th September and one of them was killed on the morning of 26th September, while another one pleaded to spare his life and he was taken into custody.
“He identified himself as Ali Babar Patra, 19, son of Late Mohammad Lateef resident of Dipalpur district Okara of Punjab Pakistan, he has admitted that he was the member of LeT and was trained by the outfit. He said that he underwent three-weeks course in 2019 at Khyber camp in Muzaffarabad. Subsequently after training, he was sent home and thereafter he was recalled for some important task this year.
He has also given the contact number of his mother, while he claimed that he was informed by his handlers that he was supposed to drop a supply in the area of Pattan, but when we saw the recoveries that were made, it is quite possible that these infiltrators had come here for some kind of strike, which went beyond the supply drop. This infiltration attempt was made in the area of Salamabad Nallah, this is the same area through which we have had a history of infiltration in 2016 that is when a suicide attack on Uri Garrison took place.”
He said that it has also been revealed that this infiltration group was supported by the Pakistani side by three porters who had come till the LoC along with supplies. “The Pakistani post opposite this post is the Jaabri post, now movement of such large people cannot take place without active complicity of the Pakistan army.”
“What we have also seen that there has been lot of movement in the launch pad across the LoC. An infiltration was also made when three militants were neutralized in the neighboring area, which show the desperation of Pakistan when they see peace and stability in Kashmir.”
He claimed that in the last seven days seven militants have been neutralized and one has been apprehended and five of these neutralizations have taken place near the Line of Control. “The major recoveries that have taken place include 7 AK series rifles, 9 pistols and revolvers and more than 80 different kinds of grenades and some Pakistani and Indian currency.”—(KNO)
