Militants from across the border are increasingly dropping arms and ammunition close to the Line of Control (LoC) for them to be picked up by their associates on the Indian side instead of crossing over, according to sources. Security forces have carried out 13 operations this year along the LoC and seized seven AK-47 and AK-56 rifles, 23 pistols, 15 grenades, 12 kg of narcotics and more than Rs 50 lakh cash. The latest operation was carried out last week in Machil, in Kashmir’s Kupwara, when forces seized a large cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK rifles, seven pistols, four hand grenades and other material. Sources said some of these rifles were heavily modified and the pistols appear to be China-made Tokarevs. “The effective domination of the LoC has made infiltration difficult for terrorists and thus there have been multiple instances in recent times where they are opting to drop weapons close to LoC to be picked up by their contacts on this side, instead of crossing over to the hinterland,” a source told The Indian Express. This year, the forces have received around 350 inputs from various agencies on LoC infiltration attempts in Kashmir and killed around 20 militants. Two infantry divisions of the Army are deployed in north Kashmir along the LoC. Sources said militants receive GPS coordinates for the drop points. “At these drop points, either the weapons are left for them to be collected later and at times, food and other supplies are also kept at these places for the sustenance of the terrorists. There is often no physical contact between either side,” the source said.
