Soldier dead, Army Major among 4 injured in encounter in J&K’s Kupwara

JAMMU/KASHMIR,JULY 26 : At least one soldier died while five others, including a Major rank officer, were injured as the Army foiled an attack by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. A Pakistani terrorist was also killed in the gunfight.

Border Action Teams (BATs) — which include commandos from the Pakistan Army and terrorists — are known for infiltration along the LoC in the past.

The encounter, the second in Kupwara in three days, started in the district’s Kamkari area following information about possible terrorist movements in the area.

The deceased and the injured soldiers were evacuated from the operation site, as the gunfight was still underway, the Army said.

“Indian Army troops have foiled a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) attack on the Line of Control aainst Indian forces. The BAT team involved in the attack is suspected to have regular Pakistan Army troops including their SSG commandos who work closely with terrorist organisations, Defence Ministry sources said to news agency ANI.

Earlier on July 24, the security forces also neutralised an unidentified terrorist in an overnight gunfight with terrorists in Kupwara’s Lolab area. A soldier was also killed in the gunfight.

According to sources, a group of around 40 to 50 Pakistani terrorists are reportedly hiding in the upper reaches of the hilly districts of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting security forces to launch massive counter-terror operations in these areas to nab them.

These terrorists, who have managed to infiltrate the region, are highly trained and equipped with some of the most modern and sophisticated weapons, including American-made M4 Carbine Rifles fitted with night vision devices, sources said.

-The India Today