5 militants killed were 'fidayeen': Army

SRINAGAR: The Army today said the five militants killed in a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector on Friday belonged to a 'fidayeen' squad and were planning a suicide attack.

"So far, in the search operations, huge quantity of arms and ammunitions have been recovered, which includes five AK 47 rifles, two UBGLs, large quantity of explosives, combat dresses, incendiary material, eatables with Pakistani markings and uniquely body-fitted IEDs with timer mechanisms.

"All this indicates that this was a fidayeen group which was infiltrated into the sector with the sinister plans of carrying out a gruesome attack on an army camp or a civil installation around Uri," Brigadier Y S Ahlawat said.

Speaking to reporters at Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, Brigadier Ahlawat said it was quite possible that with the kind of materials the militants were carrying, they could have executed a fidayeen-type attack similar to the 2016 attack in Uri.

He said the alertness and resilience of army troops has not only resulted in the elimination of this group, but has also ensured peace and tranquillity which this group wanted to vitiate specially during the holy month of Ramzaan.

"This is the fifth infiltration bid that has been successfully eliminated by the army in the last three days. The army continues with its resolve to keep a strong vigil along the LoC and foil all such nefarious designs of Pakistan-abetted terrorists," he said.