Jammu, Sep 1 (IANS) An infiltration bid by the terrorists on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district was foiled on Monday by the Army, and an anti-terrorist operation is now underway in the area.

Officials said that the alert soldiers challenged the suspected movement of terrorists near the LoC in the Balakot sector of Poonch district, triggering a heavy exchange of fire.

“Troops noticed suspicious movement along the LoC and immediately opened fire. The resulting encounter led to intense firing between the Army and the suspected infiltrators.

“The operation is still underway, and further details are awaited,” officials said.

On August 28, two terrorists were killed when an infiltration bid was foiled by the Army in the Gurez sector of the LoC in Bandipora district. One of the two terrorists killed in the Gurez sector last week has been identified as Bagu Khan, a Pakistani terrorist known as ‘human GPS’. Bagu Khan, also called ‘Samundar Chacha’, was wanted by security forces for decades as he was involved in more than 100 infiltration bids since 1995.

According to officials, he knew all the infiltration routes and used to facilitate them without getting caught — hence getting the name ‘human GPS’.

Bagu Khan’s identity card was also recovered, which showed that he was a resident of Pakistan, officials had confirmed.

In a separate incident on August 28, a soldier was killed during operational duty in Kupwara district. The soldier was identified as Havildar Ikbal Ali.

“His courage and dedication will forever inspire us. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved family and are committed to their well-being,” the Army said.

After Operation Sindoor was halted, Pakistan-backed terrorists have again made infiltration attempts on the 740-km-long LoC in J&K, which is guarded by the Army. However, India has made it clear that the Operation is on.

As the Army guards the LoC, security forces and J&K Police are carrying out aggressive anti-terrorist operations in the hinterland.

–IANS

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