Three Pakistani LeT militants and Army porter killed in Kupwara gunfight: Police

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A gunfight erupted between militants and a joint team of police and Army early on Thursday at Kupwara’s Jumagund village, which is near the Line of Control (LoC). The police said the gunfight started after they received inputs about a group of militants infiltrating into the Valley.

“Based on a specific input developed by Kupwara Police regarding infiltration attempt of terrorists in village Jumagund near LoC area of Kupwara, an ambush was put in place by police and Army,” the police said in a statement. “As the infiltrating terrorists were intercepted…, they were challenged. But in return they opened indiscriminate fire upon the joint party which was retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, all the three infiltrated terrorist were killed.”

In a separate statement, the Army said the operation was launched based on “joint intelligence input from several agencies, including SSP Kupwara”.

The police said the militants belonged to Pakistan. “Based on source report and as per the documents recovered from them, the killed terrorists have been identified as Pakistani LeT terrorists,” they said. “Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including three AK [series] rifles, 12 magazines, a pistol, two pistol magazines and three mobile phones were recovered from their possession.”

In the evening, the police said an Army porter, Abdul Lateef Mir, who was injured in the gunfight, died of his injuries at hospital.

The Army blamed Pakistan for the infiltration attempt, saying it has been the neighbouring country’s state policy.

“Exporting terrorism in J&K has been a state policy of Pakistan in the past three decades. Increased desperation of terrorist handlers in PoJK is evident as a result of effect-based operation conducted by the Indian Army and prevailing peace and tranquility evident from large number of tourists coming to the Valley,” a Defence spokesman said in a statement.

“Pakistan’s nefarious designs to revive the dying agenda and keep the pot boiling in J&K under the garb of ceasefire understanding by Pakistan army is a new deceit.”

This is the second gunfight in North Kashmir in two days. On Wednesday, three Pakistani militants and a policeman were killed in a gunfight in Kreeri village of North Kashmir’s Baramulla.