Indian Army Denies Surgical Strike Reports, Says Infiltration Bid Thwarted

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Ministry of Defence has officially denied the claims made by a newspaper report regarding a recent surgical strike carried out by the Indian Army. The Army itself has also confirmed that no such operation took place. The newspaper article had alleged that the Indian Army had executed another surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

An Army spokesperson released a statement to the leading English Daily clarifying the situation, saying, "A news report has been published regarding a Surgical Strike. I would like to clarify that no such operation has been conducted in the Rajouri-Poonch region. An infiltration attempt was thwarted yesterday, for which a press release has been issued."

According to the official Army statement, "On the morning of August 22, alert troops detected two terrorists attempting to cross the Line of Control (LC) into Indian territory in the Hamirpur area of the Balakote Sector. The terrorists were taking advantage of adverse weather conditions, dense fog, thick foliage, and undulating terrain."

"When the terrorists approached our ambush positions, they were challenged and engaged with effective gunfire. As a result, the terrorists swiftly retreated from the ambush site, exploiting the favorable combination of weather and terrain conditions. Despite this, the effective gunfire led to one terrorist falling to the ground near the LC. Additional troops were subsequently deployed to the area, and search operations began in the afternoon once the weather conditions improved."

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"During the search, an AK-47 rifle with two magazines, 30 rounds, two grenades, and medicines of Pakistani origin were recovered from the area. Blood trails leading towards the LC were also found during the search. Based on intelligence inputs, it was determined that the two terrorists who attempted to infiltrate were injured due to gunfire from our troops. Despite managing to return across the LC, they eventually succumbed to their injuries."

The Army's statement concluded by stating, "Our troops remain vigilant and on high alert to counter any potential infiltration attempts."

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 22, 2023, 14:07 [IST]