Jammu: Two militants were killed in the Balakot sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday in a night-long operation. The militants were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district late on Saturday evening. According to defence sources, the area has been cordoned off and search operations are on.
Defence sources said that personnel attached to the 19 Madras Regiment were on routine patrol in the Balakot sector when suspicious persons were spotted near the border, after which they fired some speculative fire shots. Alert troops posted on the border fence in Balakot have so far tracked down and neutralised two terrorists. The bodies of the slain terrorists were recovered when the army launched a search operation in the area on Sunday morning, officials said.
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"The troops on the Line of Control and fence were alerted and they have been keeping tabs on the area. At around 7:45 pm, there was a loud explosion initiated by infiltrating terrorists. Thereafter at 7:50 pm, our troops saw the movement near the fence and they fired at them. Once the firing has been ceased, troops on the fence and the Line of Control readjusted the cordon to prevent their escape. Night enabled Quadcopters and other surveillance devices to be deployed to keep a strict vigil on the cordoned area," an official release said.
"Troops commenced a search operation at 2 pm on Sunday and so far two bodies have been recovered with weapons, magazines and ammunition. Furthermore, the Army has recovered one AK 47 Rifle with two magazines and 21 rounds, one modified AK 56 Rifle, One Chinese pistol with one magazine and five rounds, two Chinese hand grenades and two high explosive IEDs, and a mobile phone till now and search operation is still going on," the release said.
"Operations to nab terrorists involved in the Dhangri attack continue. Alert troops deployed on the border fence in Balakot detected and neutralised two terrorists so far. The area has been cordoned off and operations are in progress," the White Knight Corps said. White Knight Corps, also known as the 16 corps of the Indian army, looks after operational control of the area south of Jammu and Kashmir.
"A massive search operation was launched in the area after which contact with the militants was established. In a brief exchange of fire, two unidentified militants were killed," said a defence official. He added that search operations are still on in order to rule out the presence of any more militants.
This has come amid high alert in Jammu's Poonch-Rajouri districts following the terror attacks in the Dhanghri area of Rajouri last Sunday in which six civilians, including two children, were killed. The death toll in the Rajouri attacks reached seven, as another injured, identified as Prince Sharma, succumbed early morning on Sunday. Prince was injured on the first day of the firing incident at Dhangri and was later air-lifted from GMC Rajouri to Jammu hospital.
