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| 4 ultras dead in Poonch | | Army lodges breach protest with Pak | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 22: The fiercely fought gun battle on the Line of Control in Tarkundi area of Poonch sector ended today with killing of four militants. One militant and a solder were killed till last evening.
Four militants were today killed in a fierce gunbattle that erupted on Sunday on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, with security personnel foiling an attempt by ultras to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir. A jawan - Sepoy Chiba of One Assam Regiment-- had died yesterday in the gunfight.
The armed militants entered the Indian territory "from Kabaristan post of Pakistan and were trapped by troops between Zeroline and border-fencing along LoC in Poonch district at 0830 hours yesterday morning," a senior Army official said. Four militants were killed today as the firing resumed today after a night-long lull.
The latest infiltration bid by militants was preceded by heavy firing from Pakistani side on Indian positions along the LoC.
The encounter is taking place in a heavily mined area. "We cannot lift the bodies as militants might have laid a mine-field trap," official sources said. The operation was still on when reports last came in from the area, they added.
Meanwhile, Indian army today lodged a "strong" protest with its Pakistani counterpart over a "major" violation of ceasefire along the Line of Control.
"We have lodged a strong written protest with Pakistan authorities over the small arms firing by them on an Indian position in Tarkundi forward on Saturday," a senior defence officer said after a meeting of the company commanders of the two sides at Tatapani along the LoC in Poonch district.
"India provided them evidence of firing," he said. Officials yesterday said it was the gravest violation of the ceasefire by Pakistan since the November 2003 truce came into force.
"Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and opened small arms firing on Indian posts along LoC in Tarkundi forward areas in Poonch district from 1100 hours to 1600 hours Saturday," the officer said.
But there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing, he said adding that Indian troops guarding the LoC also fired a few rounds.
Since January this year, Pakistani troops have violated the five-year-old ceasefire agreement 32 times. The aim of the cross-border firing is to push in armed militants into Jammu and Kashmir.
Nearly 110 infiltration bids have been reported in the last eight months from across the LoC. On Thursday, there was firing from Pakistan across LoC on forward posts of Panjal and Kopra in Sabzian sub-sector of Poonch district.
There were 13 incidents of ceasefire violations along LoC in Poonch sector from May to September this year. Four jawans were killed and 13 injured in Pakistani firing and shelling in the sector.
Army has further beefed up the security along the LoC in the wake of intelligence reports that several big groups of the militants are waiting to enter Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations had strongly protested to his Pakistani counterpart on a couple of occasions over ceasefire violations after the Tangdhar and Nowgam incidents.
Infiltration bids by militants have witnessed an increase in summer months this year in view of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections due for later this year. |
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