Army nabs 3 trying to cross LoC in J&K's Uri sector, one a suspended TA soldier
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Indian Army on Sunday apprehended three persons while they were attempting to cross the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. All three are residents of Sopore in Baramulla district, and security agencies have confirmed they were in contact with handlers based across the border.
Who Was Apprehended
The three individuals have been identified as Adil Hussain Dar, Ishfaq Ahmad, and Jaffar Ahmad — all residents of Sopore. Notably, Dar is a suspended personnel of Territorial Army (TA)-161, according to officials, raising concerns about possible insider links to cross-border networks.
The trio was intercepted as they attempted to exfiltrate into PoK via the Hathlanga-Nambla axis during the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday. All three are currently in custody and are being questioned by security agencies.
Second Incident: PoK Resident Crosses Into Kashmir
In a separate incident in the same Uri sector, Army personnel apprehended a PoK resident who had crossed the LoC into Indian territory in the Silikote area. The individual, identified as Zeeshan Mir, a resident of Muzaffarabad, reportedly claimed he had crossed over to meet his girlfriend living in Tileai in the sector.
Both Mir and the woman are currently being questioned by security forces. Further details are awaited, officials said.
Strategic Significance of the Uri Sector
Jammu and Kashmir shares a 740-km-long LoC spread across Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts in the Valley, and Poonch, Rajouri, and parts of Jammu district. The Army maintains round-the-clock surveillance across this stretch against infiltration, exfiltration, drug smuggling, and drone-borne payload drops.
This comes amid heightened security operations along the LoC following a series of terror incidents in the region. The Uri sector, in particular, has been a historically active corridor for cross-border movement.
The Drone Threat and Counter-Measures
According to officials, terrorist outfits operating from PoK routinely deploy drones to drop consignments of arms, ammunition, cash, and narcotics onto the Indian side of the LoC. These payloads are reportedly collected by overground workers (OGWs) and funnelled to active militants. The Army has deployed high-tech anti-drone equipment to counter this threat, though the challenge persists.
The questioning of all four apprehended individuals is expected to yield further intelligence on cross-border networks and active handlers.