Militants, army exchange fire in Bandipora forest

Srinagar: Fresh firing erupted on Wednesday in the woods in the Bandipora, where a Cordoned and Search Operation (CASO) continued for the past five days against a group of militants hiding there, official sources said.
They said when the security forces were moving deep into the forest area this morning in Bandipora in north Kashmir, militants hiding there opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons. Security forces also retaliated ensuing in an encounter.
They said with the first light this morning security forces resumed searches in the forest , where a group of militants are hiding. The operation was halted last night and resumed this morning, they said adding more troops from other nearby camps have also joined the searches. Two soldiers were injured in Monday encounter before the militants escaped deep into the forest, they said.
The entire forest has been sealed to foil any militant attempt to escape, they said adding CASO was going on when the reports last came in.
Meanwhile, soldiers are also conducting searches near Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector, where troops killed six infiltrators immediately after they crossed over to this side from Pakistan administrated Kashmir (PaK) early Sunday morning.
This was the fourth infiltration attempt by militants from PaK during the past few weeks. With these killing about 16 militants were killed after they sneaked into this side in north Kashmir during the past few weeks. However, a soldier was martyred and another was injured in one of the encounter.
A large number of militants are waiting at launch pads near LoC to infiltrate into this side from PaK during summer month. However, troops are already on high alert and have intensified ground and night patrolling to scuttle any attempt by militants to enter this side.