The Indian Army launched a large-scale search operation in north Kashmir’s Keran sector on Saturday after alert troops foiled an infiltration attempt near the Line of Control (LoC).

Officials said soldiers on patrol noticed suspicious movement near Jamgund village, close to the LoC, at around 3 am. The troops exchanged fire with the suspected infiltrators, leading to a brief encounter.

The Army expanded the search into the nearby forest to determine whether any infiltrators had entered the Keran Valley. Additional troops joined the operation. The Army has not yet issued an official statement on the incident.

Infiltration attempts along the LoC in the Keran sector have declined over the past couple of years. However, the area has historically served as a route for terrorists attempting to cross the LoC.

Earlier this month, security forces busted a hideout in the Handwara forest area of Kupwara district and recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives, officials said.

Acting on specific intelligence, a joint team of police, Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel conducted a search operation in the Nagda Nar forest area of Handwara, a police spokesperson said.

During the operation, the team detected and destroyed an old hideout. The recoveries included an AK-47 rifle, three grenades, 857 AK rounds, 192 PIKA rounds, eight AK magazines, a silencer, 83 pistol rounds and other incriminating material, the spokesperson said.

Police registered a case under relevant sections at Handwara police station and initiated an investigation.

In November last year, security forces recovered a large cache of weapons in the Handwara-Nowgam sector, foiling a potential terror plot in the Valley.

Acting on specific intelligence, Handwara police and the Indian Army’s Naugam Brigade launched a joint operation in the Neeriyan forest area along the LoC in the Nowgam sector. The team busted a major hideout and recovered two M-series rifles with four magazines, two Chinese pistols with three magazines, two hand grenades and live ammunition, a police spokesperson said at the time.

“An FIR has been registered at Qalamabad police station, and further investigation is underway,” he said.