Army foils infiltration bid in Poonch, search operations intensify

Srinagar, Sept 1 : Indian Army troops on Monday thwarted an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting a large-scale search operation in the Balakote sector.

According to defence officials, soldiers deployed near Dabbi village detected suspicious movement around 5.30 am, when a group of armed men tried to cross over from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The troops immediately engaged the infiltrators, leading to an exchange of heavy gunfire. No casualties were reported on either side at the time of filing this report.

Following the encounter, reinforcements were rushed to the area and a cordon was laid to prevent any escape. “Troops have been repositioned and re-oriented to ensure full domination of the sector using all available means,” an army spokesperson said, adding that drones and other surveillance equipment have been pressed into service to track possible movement.(KNS).