Poonch gripped by fear as Army foils first LoC infiltration attempt since Operation Sindoor

Fear gripped residents of the border town of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir after security forces foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday. This was the first such attempt by Pakistan-backed terrorists since Operation Sindoor.

As Poonch town witnessed bloodshed and destruction during the intervening nights of May 6 and 7, 2025, residents have reason to be concerned after a group of Pakistani terrorists made an unsuccessful attempt to infiltrate this side of the LoC.

Following the foiled infiltration bid in the Poonch district, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, visited forward areas in Poonch and the headquarters of Romeo Force to review the prevailing security situation and ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

During the visit, the army commander was briefed on sustained domination activities across the Pir Panjal Range, the intelligence grid in the region, and coordination among various security agencies.

Officials said the commander also reviewed security arrangements made by Rashtriya Rifles battalions for the annual migration of the Gujjar community and Bakarwal community through the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir.

The army commander interacted with troops deployed in forward areas and lauded their professionalism, operational preparedness, and continued domination of the area despite difficult terrain and adverse weather conditions.

"An eerie silence had prevailed in the area over the past year after Operation Sindoor, but now Pakistan has once again resumed its attempts to push terrorists across the border," Ronik Sharma told the International Business Times. "The residents of Poonch want to live in peace, but our neighbouring country is making repeated attempts to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in this part of the Union Territory," he said.

After maintaining relative calm for the past few months, Pakistan has once again resumed its hostile activities along the border, as security forces on Tuesday foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of terrorists belonging to the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba along the LoC in Poonch.

One infiltrator was killed by alert troops, while the others retreated to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) after a brief exchange of fire.

Reports said a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba was killed in an encounter with security forces in Poonch district while attempting to infiltrate from across the LoC.

Official sources said the slain terrorist was part of a Lashkar-e-Taiba group attempting to cross into Indian territory when alert troops intercepted the movement, triggering a gunfight in the forward area.

During the exchange of fire, one Pakistani terrorist was neutralised, and search and sanitisation operations were launched to trace any possible accomplices.

Security agencies remain on high alert along the LoC in view of increased infiltration attempts from across the border.

According to the White Knight Corps, "Acting on persistent surveillance, suspicious movement was detected approximately 300 metres inside its own territory in the general area of Krishna Ghati Sector, Poonch, along the LoC at around 4 pm today. Alert troops of the White Knight Corps swiftly responded and foiled the infiltration bid, ensuring no breach of the LoC. One intruder has been neutralised. Our troops continue to dominate the area and maintain a high state of operational readiness across the sector."