Half a dozen jawans and 52 militants killed in J&K since Jan

Fifty-two militants and half-a-dozen Army jawans and security personnel have been killed in 2016, said an Army spokesman, while cautioning that highly trained militants are likely to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir through untraditional routes, especially in the Kashmir valley, this summer.

The Army has improved the security grid of J&K, as it is expecting an intriguing summer, following two fresh encounters that have left six militants and one soldier dead. Earlier, in the heart of Srinagar at Sarai Bala, J&K Police Special Operation Group (SOG) killed two unidentified militants. The locals, however, alleged that it was a fake encounter.

In Nowgam sector of Kupwara, one soldier was killed while the Army was trying to tackle an infiltration attempt. In the two-day long combing operation-cum-encounter, four militants were killed till Friday afternoon. In another encounter on Friday, two militants were killed at Tangmarg near the health resort of Gulmarg, after the Army and the security forces received a tip-off.

Earlier, the defence spokesman had told the media in Jammu that 45 militants have been killed this year in various operations. He said the Army and intelligence agencies have taken innovative steps to counter infiltration attempts and have deployed troops at all vulnerable areas along the border. He said there was now efficient use of surveillance and monitoring devices and laser fences have been erected at a number of places on the International Border in Jammu. The Army had detected in April that 18 militants had infiltrated into the Kashmir valley in Kupwara district. The Army spokesman said that even last year more than 100 militants were killed in different encounters by them in the state.