Two Army jawans  and three militants were killed during the cross-LoC firing in Jammu and Kashmir today further heightening the tension along the border.

According to sources a militant was killed in Keran sector by the Army in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district near Line of Control (LoC). Sources said that the armed force personnel noticed some suspicious movement last night at Bimla Post in Keran and subsequently they opened fire.

“Today after carrying out searches, one body was recovered near the firing spot,” said the sources, adding that another militant is also believed to have been killed  “but so far his body has not been recovered.’’ Sources said that the Army apprehends presence of a militant group in the area and the searches have been started in the area.

Defence Spokesman, Col Rajesh Kalia, said that an infiltration bid was foiled in the Keran sector in which one militant was killed. “One weapon was also recovered and the operation was in progress,’’ he said.

According to sources in a third such incident by the Border Action Team (BAT) in Poonch area of Jammu division, two army jawans were killed and another one was injured. “One of the injured jawans was shifted to army hospital in Udhampur,’’ said a source.

Local sources said that the army’s area domination patrol which was targeted by “armed intruders’’ engaged in an exchange of fire. While the firefight was going on Pakistani posts engaged own posts by heavy firing. The personnel of our own patrol killed one armed intruder and another armed intruder was injured, but the covering fire by Pakistani posts facilitated his movement back to the other side of LoC. Pakistan’s BAT team was 600 metre within own side of Line of Control and 200 metre from own posts. In the exchange of fire two jawans were killed,’’ said a local source.

The tensions between India and Pakistani troops have escalated due to the constant firing along the border. Earlier Pakistan had claimed that two of its teenagers were killed while a civilian was injured as Indian troops resorted to heavy firing along the border. The casualties occurred in Tatta Pani sector of southern Kotli district of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). The firing along the borders has continued unabated amid the escalation in the infilitration attempts from across the border. The firing along the border has continued even as the increasing number of militants are trying to sneak into the Indian side.

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