Three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were killed in a surprise pre-dawn attack by militants in north Kashmir’s Macchil Sector on a picket. This was followed by an hour-long ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops. One militant was also killed in retaliatory fire.
Sources said the militants ambushed the BSF picket in Kupwara district on Monday morning. It did not seem to be an infiltration attempt but a well-organised attack, said the sources.
The incident took place after 5 a.m. as the militants apparently came close to the fencing inside the Indian territory and opened fire at the picket. A Srinagar-based Defence spokesman said a militant was also killed in the operation without furnishing any details. “The operation is on,” he added.
Police sources said the attack was followed by firing from Pakistan, and soldiers exchanged small-arms fire. However, the Army has not confirmed the ceasefire violation officially.
Militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the Macchil attack. “The attack on Indian troopers was carried out to pay tributes to Hizb commander Burhan Wani,” said Burhan-ud-din, a Hizb operational spokesman who called up Srinagar-based news agencies.
Kupwara has emerged as a hotbed of infiltration in the past one month. Since July 26, seven militants have been killed in at least three infiltration bids foiled by the security forces near the Line of Control (LoC) in the area.
