Infiltration bid foiled, a militant , a soldier killed, two jawans injured in Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 22: Security forces foiled yet another major infiltration bid when they gunned down a militant near the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector in the frontier district of Kupwara, a defence ministry spokesman said Wednesdayafternoon.
       He said troops guarding the LoC noticed a group of militants sneaking into this side from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)  in Keran sector this morning under the cover of darkness. However, when challenged and asked to surrender, militants opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, Col Rajesh Kalia told UNI.
      He said troops also retaliated and in the exchange of gun fight a militant was killed. We also lost a soldier, he said adding two others were injured.
      Braving chilly weather condition, a massive search operation has been launched in the entire dense woods, he said adding additional security forces have been rushed to further tightened the Cordoned and Search Operation (CASO) from different direction.
      A senior Army officer recently said that a large number of militants are waiting across the LoC in launch pads to sneak into this side from POK before the infiltration routes are closed due to heavy snowfall.
  He said this year about 66 infiltrators were killed immediately after they sneak into this side near the LoC.
  Security forces are already on high alert to foil any infiltration bid before heavy snowfall, he said. UNI