Security forces foil infiltration bid in Nowshera, J&K; two terrorists killed ahead of polls
A large quantity of war-like stores have been recovered so far, the army's White Knight Corps said.
PTC News Desk: The Indian Army announced on Monday morning that it successfully foiled an infiltration attempt in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir, which is set to hold assembly elections soon. According to the army, at least two terrorists were killed during the operation.
The White Knight Corps of the Indian Army shared details of the operation, named "Operation Kanchi," through a post on X (formerly Twitter). The army revealed that the operation was launched following intelligence inputs from security agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who had warned of a likely infiltration attempt. The anti-infiltration operation took place on the intervening night of September 8 and 9 in the Lam area of Nowshera.
The army's post stated, "OP KANCHI. Based on inputs from intelligence agencies and @JmuKmrPolice regarding a likely infiltration bid, an anti-infiltration operation was launched by #IndianArmy on the intervening night of 08-09 Sep 24 in the general area Lam, #Nowshera." The post also confirmed the neutralization of two terrorists, adding that a significant cache of arms and ammunition was recovered, including two AK-47 rifles and a pistol. "Search operation is in progress," the statement added.
This development comes at a crucial time, just days before the assembly elections are set to take place in Jammu and Kashmir. These elections will be the first in the Union territory since December 2014 and follow the historic abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which led to the bifurcation of the former state into two Union territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The elections will be conducted in three phases. The first phase of voting is scheduled for September 18, followed by the second phase on September 25, and the final phase on October 1. Originally, the counting of votes was slated for October 4, but it has now been pushed to October 8, aligning with the revised polling and counting dates in Haryana.
The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness a significant contest, with major parties like the National Conference and the Congress forming an alliance to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been in power at the national level since May 2014. The outcome of these elections will be closely watched as the region undergoes a historic transition post-Article 370.