Indian army claims infiltration attempts on rise in Kashmir

The Indian Army said that there is an increase in infiltration attempts by militants across the border in Kashmir, however security forces are vigilant as they try to keep the intruders at bay.

Earlier on July 09, the Indian Army foiled a major infiltration bid by suspected militants to sneak into Kashmir by gunning down five of them.

Since March this year, militants have escalated attacks on Indian security forces killing 27 security men so far in Kashmir.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of a bridge constructed by a division of the Army and the Border Roads Organisation (BDO), General Officer Commanding (GoC) 16 Corps, Lt. Gen. D. S. Hooda said several infiltration attempts have been foiled by the Army in the last few months.

"There is an increase in their attempts to come across the .... (sic) target our posts, you know try and disturb our grids so that they can infiltrate inside. Definitely, you know attempts have been made, there are people who are close to the line of control to actually target them. They have not been able to successfully infiltrate inside into the hinterland but definitely activity along the line of control has increased," said Lt. Gen. Hooda.

Indian security officials say that separatist militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir step up attacks during the summer months as snow melts the region's mountain passes, allowing easier movement of militants from Pakistani territory.

"Our latest figures reveal that about 250 to 300 militants who are trying to across on the line of control and waiting to infiltrate to across on our side and I am not only talking of the Jammu region, I am not talking only about Srinagar, because that is the responsibility of another corps," Lt. Gen. Hooda said.

The restive region has witnessed numerous militant attacks, insurgency, and infiltration attempts from across the border in the last two decades.