As passes open, security forces ready to thwart more infiltration attempts across LoC

The infiltration bid in Baramulla in which the army killed two militants comes almost a month after the forces had killed an unidentified militant in the forests of neighbouring Kupwara district in north Kashmir near the Line of Control.

Officials said that not many infiltration bids were made into Kashmir through LoC this year owing to winter, though there are more chances now owing to increase in temperatures in spring and less snowfall this year in Uri.

“On March 17, a terrorist was killed in Handwara in a known transit route of infiltrators and today two infiltrators were killed in Uri. Today’s infiltration comes as spring has set in, passes have started to open amid less snowfall in Uri,” a police official said.

From the past four to five years, especially after India and Pakistan renewed their ceasefire on the LoC in 2021, there has been a decline in the attempts of infiltration. There has been an enhanced alert among the forces to nip any attempts of infiltration in early spring.

The security officials say that for the past year or two the infiltration from Kashmir side has decreased but the forces are not letting their guard down.

While talking about today’s infiltration, Brigadier Mayank Shukla, commander of 161 Infantry brigade, said that they were getting inputs from intelligence agencies about the movement of Pakistani terrorists across the Uri sector for the past few days.

“Their motive was any big incident in the Uri sector and affect peace and development in Kashmir. Keeping this in mind, the army and police had enhanced their vigilance in the area putting focus on land and air surveillance,” he said.

He said that the ground anti-infiltration grid has also been strengthened. “We will continue our efforts for peace in the region,” he said.

Earlier, former General Officer Commanding (GoC) of army’s 15 Corps, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai while relinquishing his office in October last year said there was a change in strategy by the opponents across the border in terms of infiltration from Jammu region rather than from Kashmir.