Srinagar, May 26 (UNI) Five heavily armed militants, believed to be foreigners, were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector in the frontier district of Kupwara in north Kashmir on Saturday morning.
The operation was still on when the reports last came in, a defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia told UNI this evening.
The infiltration attempt by militants was made a day after Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat said if Pakistan really wants peace, then the first step they should take is to stop infiltration of militants into 'our' side.
Col Kalia said troops guarding the LoC noticed a group of militants sneaking into this side from Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) early Saturday morning under the cover of darkness. However, when challenged and asked to surrender, militants opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, he said, adding that troops also retaliated and in the fierce encounter so far four militants were killed.
'Later, one more militant was killed taking the toll to five. However, we did not suffered any damage,' he added.
The entire woods near the LoC has been sealed and a massive search operation launched, he said.
This was the second infiltration bid from PoK in Kupwara. Recently, alert troops foiled an attempt by militants to sneak into this side in Keran sector.
Gen Rawat had said Pakistan should stop sending militants into Jammu and Kashmir, if it desired peace. The ceasefire violation mostly takes place to aid infiltration, he added.
'It is imperative to stop terrorism from across (the LoC) -- the camps which are on the other side giving training to militants and from where ammunition is infiltrated into J&K -- should stop,' he said.

If that happens, the Army chief said, then, 'I can assure you that peace will prevail on the borders.'
UNI BAS SB 1845