Terrorists Killed In Kashmir's Keran Planned To Attack Amarnath Yatra: Indian Army

Srinagar: In a successful operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Keran sector in Jummagund village of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, the Indian Army foiled a major infiltration bid, resulting in the killing of three terrorists. The operation, named Operation Dhanush-2, was launched yesterday after the Army detected suspicious movements near the LoC fence.  

N. L. Kurkni, Commander of the 268th Brigade of the Keran Sector, said Operation Dhanush was a big success. The Indian Army has recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. 

Operation Dhanush-2 

Addressing the media, the commander said, “There were multiple inputs about the presence of terrorists in multiple launch pads opposite the Keran sector of Kupwara. The inputs said that terrorists were trying to infiltrate and carry out sabotage and subversive activities in the hinterland with the aim of disrupting the normal situation in general and the Amarnath Yatra in particular. Hence, security forces had started aggressive surveillance in the forward areas of the LoC for the past few weeks.  

Kurkni said, "On July 12, specific inputs were given by our own troops and Jammu and Kashmir Police about a group of foreign terrorists planning to infiltrate into the Keran sector, taking advantage of the dense forest.  

The Army, BSF, and JKP were on high alert from the intervening nights of July 13 and 14, official added.  

As per the commander, on July 14, at about 3 p.m., the movement of three terrorists was observed across the fence. They were closely monitored. The movements of the terrorists were tracked. Taking advantage of the dense forest and poor visibility, the terrorists crossed the LoC and moved towards the fence. An ambush was laid there, and the terrorist was engaged near the LoC.  

‘Heavily Armed, Well Trained’ 

Kurkni said, "The terrorists were heavily armed, well trained, and highly equipped. Three foreign terrorists were killed in the encounter, and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered."  

The recovery includes three AK 47s, four pistols, six hand grenades, Pakistani-brand cigarettes, and food items." The encounter started on Sunday when the troops encountered the infiltrators, who opened fire in retaliation. Security forces killed three terrorists in the encounter.  

Senior Army commanders said that "Operation Dhanush-II has been launched following repeated inputs about possible terrorist infiltration in the Keran sector and other areas along the LOC.  

Several agencies have received information that infiltration attempts may be made by foreign terrorists through the Keran sector, which is a traditional route of infiltration due to its challenging terrain. The Army, BSF, and JK Police have been put on high alert after receiving intelligence about infiltration.