Four militants killed while trying to sneak into J-K

SRINAGAR: Four heavily-armed militants were gunned down by security forces on Thursday when they were attempting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The militants were attempting to infiltrate from across the border when they were confronted by the troops near the Line of Control (LoC) at Tilpathri-Gogaldar in Trehgam sector, officials said.

The infiltrators were asked to surrender but they opened fire in an attempt to flee back.

However, the troops fired back and in the ensuing gunfight, four unidentified militants were killed. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

According to army officials, nearly 2,000 foreign militants were waiting in wings in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to sneak into the valley.

Brig N P S Hira of the Uri Brigade had told reporters earlier this week that the foreign militants were aiming to increase the level of violence in the state.

Besides 700 militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were also waiting in wings to return to Kashmir, he said.

Hira said 52 militant camps are thriving in PoK and Pakistan. Seven militants were killed last month while trying to sneak into the state in Uri sector alone, he added.