31 men sneaked across border: Hizb militant

The army on Saturday produced before the media an arrested Pakistani militant, Saqib Moin-ullah Shah (25) of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. The militant, who according to the army had recently infiltrated into the Kashmir valley, was apprehended from the border area Shamsabari in north Kashmir.

The army on Saturday produced before the media an arrested Pakistani militant, Saqib Moin-ullah Shah (25) of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. The militant, who according to the army had recently infiltrated into the Kashmir valley, was apprehended from the border area Shamsabari in north Kashmir.

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Addressing a press conference at 15 corps headquarters here, Brigadier General Staff, Gurmit Singh said the latest infiltration bid took place in the northern Kashmir’s Gurez sector.

He said a tipoff on the infiltration was provided by Shah a Hizb militant of North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan. Shah underwent training in Mansera.

Shah, who had crossed the border with 31 other militants, was caught while trying to return to Pakistan. “Thirtyone militants have infiltrated to this side of the line of control helped by 40 to 45 porters and guides apart from snow beaters.” Singh told media.

The militant also responded to media queries. “We were a group of 120 people including 31 militants, porters, guides and snow beaters belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Pir Panjal Rangers who crossed to this side of LoC to take part in jehad,” Shah told the media. “Taliban don’t come here. They go to Afghanistan,” he said when asked about reports of the Taliban crossing the LoC.

The army also displayed a large cache of arms and ammunition recovered after the tip off.