Army foils infiltration bid by 30 guerrillas in Kashmir

The Indian Army Thursday foiled what is described as the largest bid this year to infiltrate into the Kashmir Valley by 30 militants from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The bid to infiltrate occurred on the LoC in the Keran sector of Kupwara district, in north Kashmir.

Defence sources told IANS: "A group of 30 heavily armed terrorists has been trapped in a cordon by the army in the Keran forest area on our side of the LoC."

The sources said the group was surrounded by army troops some 200 to 300 metres from the LoC fencing on the Indian side, and engaged in a gunfight which was ongoing.

"Some of the infiltrators have already been killed. Forward troops have reported that 10 to 12 of the infiltrators have been killed so far, while others are still engaging the troops in firing exchanges," defence sources said.

The precise number of guerrillas killed will be known only once the gunfight concludes, the sources said.