The Indian Army on Tuesday foiled a major infiltration attempt by suspected Pakistani terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, killing one infiltrator in the operation.

A heavy exchange of fire is underway between the infiltrators and Army troops deployed in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch's Mendhar.

According to defence sources, alert troops detected suspicious movement of a group of heavily armed terrorists attempting to cross the LoC under the cover of darkness. The infiltrators were challenged, following which they opened fire, prompting retaliation from the Army and triggering an intense gunfight.

Sources said one terrorist has been killed in the encounter, though the body is yet to be recovered as operations remain underway. The intruder, suspected to be linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, was allegedly attempting to infiltrate into Indian territory near the Bicho Post in the Mankote area.

The remaining infiltrators are believed to have retreated towards the Pakistani side of the LoC.

Additional troops have been deployed and the entire area has been cordoned off. “The troops continue to dominate the area and maintain a high state of operational readiness across the sector,” the Indian Army said.

A search operation is underway to ensure that no infiltrators manage to sneak through, with the Army deploying surveillance equipment and drones to monitor the forested terrain along the LoC.

Source: India Today