Security forces, especially the army has received a divine intervention to plug to the infiltration at the Line of Control (LoC) as the season’s first heavy snowfall has resulted in the closure of all the infiltration routes in Jammu and Kashmir.According to the wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), north Kashmir’s Kupwara, Keran Tangdhar, Bandipora and Gurez sectors have received heavy snowfall, first downpour of the season. “These are the traditional infiltration passes of Kashmir region and all these sectors are covered under a thick snow cover. This is a divine intervention as all the infiltration passes have got closed and there are no chances of any infiltration attempt the militants from across given the nature of snow accumulation on the peaks and ridges in north Kashmir’s Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora sectors,” a senior official said.He said that troops had been maintaining a tight vigil on the LoC and this year barring few attempts, where in militants managed to sneak in, all bids were foiled. “Our primary focus has been to ensure zero infiltration and if militants manage to enter into this side, they were eliminated either at the zero-line or in the hinterland,” the official told KNO.
Another army official posted in Kupwara district, said that early and heavy snowfall is a good news rather a “godly intervention.” “We have received season’s first snowfall heavier in nature. November is too early to receive such a heavy downpour, but snowfall that too in November is always a good sign and good development as far as infiltration is concerned,” he said, wishing not to be named. “All mountain peaks, ridges and the forest range in Kupwara district including Keran and Tangdhar sector have got closed due to the heavy snow accumulation which means there are bleak chances of infiltration from now onwards. Despite divine intervention, troops are alert and won’t allow any bid from across.”This year, so far, there have been record number of infiltration attempts from LoC amid countless Cease Fire Violations (CFV) in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs)—J&K and Ladakh. At a press conference in Srinagar, in September, General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar based 15 Corps, Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon had stated that militants were trying to infiltrate from everywhere be that LoC or International Border but “troops were alert and were foiling all the bids successfully.” (KNO)