Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Indian Army has placed its units along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on high alert following intelligence inputs that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Army have activated six to seven launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to facilitate infiltration into India.
According to intelligence inputs, more than 100 terrorists have been moved to forward camps, with infiltration attempts expected before winter snowfall closes mountain passes and makes movement across the border more difficult.
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The alert covers the Rajouri-Poonch belt and the Kashmir Valley. Security agencies are closely monitoring movement along the LoC, the de facto military boundary separating Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of Kashmir.
This follows an infiltration attempt in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, where four Pakistani terrorists, including a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, were killed in a landmine explosion.
FOUR TERRORISTS KILLED IN LANDMINE BLAST
The four men were attempting to cross the LoC near Nangi Tekri in the Krishna Ghati sector when they entered an old landmine field in the forward area, according to security sources.
The explosion killed all four on the spot. The group was detected by the surveillance grid on Tuesday night while attempting to cross the LoC, the inputs said.
One of the deceased was identified as Mohammad Faizan, described as a senior LeT commander responsible for coordinating the launch of infiltrators from the group’s camps in Nikial and Kotli in PoK. The other three were identified as Wakas, Ishtiaq and Asim.
The bodies, along with arms, ammunition and other war-like stores, were recovered from the area. A search operation was launched to determine whether other members of the group were involved.
Intelligence inputs suggest that terrorist groups operating from camps in PoK are seeking to infiltrate into Kashmir before winter sets in.
Heavy snowfall can make mountain passes and routes across the rugged border region difficult to navigate. The reported activation of six to seven launch pads and the movement of more than 100 terrorists to forward camps have prompted heightened vigilance along the Rajouri-Poonch belt and the Kashmir Valley.
Launch pads are staging areas near the LoC where suspected infiltrators may assemble before attempting to cross into Indian territory. The Army is monitoring vulnerable stretches to detect suspicious movement and prevent possible crossings.
The alert comes amid intensified counter-terror operations in the Jammu region following recent attacks on security forces.
EARLIER BLAST ALSO TRIGGERED SECURITY ALERT
The landmine explosion followed another blast reported on Monday in the Satwal-Naki area near the zero line in the Krishna Ghati sector. According to officials, a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) went off as a group of people moved along the Pakistan side of the LoC.
Officials had not established whether the group comprised suspected terrorists attempting to cross the LoC or Pakistani security personnel on patrol. Following the blast, security forces sounded an alert and intensified surveillance in the sector.
In a separate incident, Army troops detected two rusted landmines near the border fence in the Basoni area of Mendhar sector on Monday. The explosives were spotted during track construction at 8.25 am and 12.10 pm, respectively, and were later destroyed by Army experts in controlled explosions.
Around a dozen landmines have been detected and defused in the area over the past week, according to the supplied information.
Landmines form part of the anti-infiltration grid along the LoC. Heavy rainfall can sometimes displace or expose old explosives, creating risks in areas where they may not be expected.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
