Army launches operation in uri after suspected infiltration attempt

The army operation to eliminate an infiltration bid in Uri and neighbouring Line of Control (LoC) areas in Jammu and Kashmir has entered 48 hours, but no contact could be established after a brief skirmish on Sunday. Mobile, landlines and internet connectivity has been taken down since Monday afternoon. A massive operation is underway in Uri and dozens of its villages along the LoC after a group of militants infiltrated into the area in the night intervening on Saturday and Sunday. There has been no contact even as more areas were brought under the operation till Tuesday morning. A brief exchange of firing had taken place on Sunday when the group of infiltrators were sneaking in.

The Indian Army has not issued an official statement on this development yet. An unidentified official told The Times of India that the Army has been pursuing six armed infiltrators.

The Army detected the suspected infiltration attempt on the night of September 18, according to the Deccan Herald. The operations coincided with the fifth anniversary of the attack in Uri in 2016 in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed. An unidentified official told the Deccan Herald on Tuesday that six to eight militants had entered Uri’s Gohalan area.

“As soon as the Army got a clue about the infiltration, they rushed to the area and during a brief gun battle one soldier was injured,” an official said. “Four to six infiltrating militants may have fled to Pakistan and two are probably hiding in the area.”

Defence spokesperson Colonel Emron Masavi confirmed that “suspicious movement was detected” to Greater Kashmir and said that the area was being searched.

As of Tuesday, the operation is still under way and Army camps in Uri are on high alert, according to the Hindustan Times.

In 2021, two infiltration attempts along the LoC were reported, Lieutenant General DP Pandey, the general-officer-commanding of the Army’s 15 Corps unit, said according to Deccan Herald.

The officer added: “One group was neutralised in Bandipora district, and we are looking for the second one, which has been successful.”

“There is an infiltration attempt which has been made. We are looking for them. Are they on this side or gone back after making attempt, that issue has not been clarified or verified on the ground. But we are quite alert and we will ensure minimal infiltration takes place,” he said.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) said there has been no increase in ceasefire violation and not even a single incident of ceasefire violation took place in 2021. He maintained there have been some attempts of infiltration among which only two succeeded. “One group was neutralised in Bandipora and we are looking for the 2nd one, which has been successful”, he added.

General Pandey there are around 60-70 foreign militants as per police assessment who are active in Valley.

“Their (foreign militants) strategy is to involve local youth in militancy, give them weapons and carry out militant attacks,” he said, adding that is why there is a great need for parents and society to wean local boys from militancy.