Five militants were killed in Machil, Kupwara, after security forces foiled an infiltration attempt on Thursday along the Line of Control (LoC).
Shortly after the operation was launched against the infiltrators, the Kashmir Zone Police posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating that, based on specific information, an encounter began in the Machil Sector, resulting in the killing of five militants.
The search operation is still under way, according to the police.
A police spokesperson stated, "Based on intelligence provided by Kupwara Police, a joint operation was successfully carried out by the Police and Army along the LoC in the Machil Sector of Kupwara district, thwarting an infiltration attempt."
He added, "In this swift and coordinated operation, five militants were neutralised."
The operation against the infiltrators was initiated in response to intelligence input, the spokesperson said.
The operation was conducted by a joint team of Kupwara police and the Army's 56RR unit swiftly during the night of October 25-26 in the Sardari Nar area along the LoC.
The militants managed to infiltrate by exploiting the dense forest cover in the area. However, their movements were soon detected by security forces, leading to the launch of an operation.
The identities of the killed militants are currently under investigation. Five AK rifles and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.
Infiltration attempts have been on the rise recently, with most of them being foiled by the Army, resulting in the death of the infiltrating militants.
On September 16, three militants were killed near the LoC at Hathlanga, Uri, in Baramulla.
During the search operation, security forces came under fire, triggering an encounter in which one unidentified militant was initially killed. Later, two more militants were killed in the firefight with the security forces.
Since September 17, security forces have thwarted six infiltration incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. Two incidents occurred in Reasi's Chassana area, one in the Narla area of Rajouri, and the rest in north Kashmir's Uri, Baramulla, and Kupwara.
Militants have also changed tactics, resorting to more deadly attacks in areas close to the Pir Panjal, including south Kashmir's Kulgam and Anantnag districts.
On September 13, a fierce encounter in Gadole forest, Kokernag, Anantnag, resulted in the deaths of two Army officers (a Colonel and a Major), a soldier, and a DSP of the police. The Army and J&K police surrounded the forest, ultimately killing the two militants involved in the attacks after a seven-day operation, the longest operation in Kashmir in a decade.
