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53 Militants Killed Crossing Kashmir Border This Year

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Aug 4: At least 53 militants belonging to different militant groups, were killed in Kashmir along the frontiers with Pakistan, this year so far.

An Indian army spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel A K Mathur, told Newsblaze that since January 1 this year repeated attempts by militants to cross into this side of the border from the Pakistani side of Kashmir, have been scuttled and foiled.

The militants have made attempts to cross into this side of Kashmir from Uri, Karnah, Keran, Gurez, Gulmarg, Nowgam, Teetwal and Tangdhar sectors bordering the Pakistani Administered Kashmir (PAK).

The Indian government and Indian army have been accusing Pakistan of pushing armed and trained militants into Kashmir to resort to violence.

According to security experts, most recently, the militants have been trying to infiltrate from the Uri sector in North Kashmir. "This year the militants have made repeated attempts to infiltrate into Kashmir from the Uri sector, which has been the traditional route of infiltration. However, since the past few years, the Uri sector was not active as far as infiltration was concerned, but this year, it has been very active on this front. We have foiled all their attempts to enter the Valley from this sector and from any other sector bordering Pakistan", an Indian army officer in Srinagar said.

Recently a group of eight militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba, who made an attempt to sneak into Kashmir from Uri sector were killed by army personnel. "This was the biggest militant group that tried to infiltrate into Kashmir", Col Mathur said.

He said the Indian army has so far this year killed 53 militants while trying to sneak into this side of Kashmir from the Pakistani side of Kashmir. "The slain militants belong to militant groups, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen", Col Mathur said.

Col Mathur that of the 53 slain militants, 23 were foreign militants and 30 were Kashmiri militants, who had gone across the border to receive arms training.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.