Srinagar Jan 2: India and Pakistan ceasefire agreement received a big setback on Saturday after Pakistan Army backed Border Action Team (BAT) attempted to infiltrate an armed rebel to attack the Indian Army.
The Indian Army foiled the infiltration attempt of the BAT and killed a militant in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Army said on Sunday.
Officials said the BAT action was foiled at the Jumagand area in the Keran sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Jan 1.
On Saturday at 3 pm, a “complete breach of ceasefire agreement” was noticed when an infiltrator wearing a “Pathan suit” and a black jacket was trying to enter into this side, said General officer Commanding (GoC) of the Indian Army’s 28 Division, Major General Abhijit Pendharkar.
“The incident site, located on the Pakistan side of our anti-infiltration obstacle system (fence), was kept under surveillance by the Indian Army to effectively counter any nefarious activity by the infiltrators or Pakistan Army. In complete breach of the ceasefire understanding arrived between the two DGMOs, an armed intruder who was dressed in a Pathani suit and a black jacket was detected moving from areas under the control of the Pakistan Army across the LoC at 1500 hours on Saturday,” Pendharkar said.
He said ambushes were laid along the likely routes that could be adapted by the intruder and movement was tracked and followed unto 1600 hrs.
“The ambush was thereafter sprung at an opportune moment and the infiltrator was eliminated,” Pendharkar said.
The slain militant has been identified as Muhammad Shabbir Malik of Pakistan.
Army has recovered one AK47 assault rifle and seven grenades, he said.
India and Pakistan on February 25 announced that their armed forces would cease firing across their shared border, the first such step since 2003 and a potentially significant move toward reducing tensions between the two rivals.
Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchange artillery and small-arms fire in the region, with dozens of civilians and soldiers killed in recent years.
Pendharkar said the vaccination certificates and an identity card issued to him by the Pakistan government were recovered from the slain militant. “A document showing the slain in army uniform was also found in his pocket,” he said.
The slain militant had chosen the infiltration route akin to the one taken by five armed militants killed on April 4 last year near Randohi-Behak in the Keran sector, he said, adding the surveillance of the area was under progress.
Indian Army has sent a communication to the Pakistani army on hot-line to take back the body of the infiltrator, he said.
Pendharkar said Indian Army was receiving continuous inputs about possible infiltration bids by militants in Kupwara sectors ahead of the snowfall in the areas. “We are alert and maintaining vigil to thwart all such plans,” he said.
