New Delhi: The Indian Army recovered a Chinese-made M-16 assault rifle from three militants killed during an anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri on Thursday, with the security forces describing the recovery as “unusual”, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, the army said two AK series weapons, a Chinese M-16 rifle and ammunition were recovered from the Pakistani militants who were killed in Kamalkote area of Uri while trying to infiltrate into the Indian side.
“Usually, we find AK series and at times, the M-4 rifles being recovered. This M-16 is a Chinese-made 9-mm calibre weapon. This is an unusual recovery,” PTI quoted General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s 19 Infantry Division Major General Ajay Chandpuri as saying.
However, he said it was too early to hint at a probable connection between the Pakistani Army, militants and the Chinese Army.
Speaking about the number of terrorists on the launchpads across the LoC, Maj Gen Chandpuri said “there were close to 100-120 terrorists attempting to infiltrate and present in 15-20 launchpads which are close to the LoC”.
“So, while the ceasefire understanding is largely holding good for the benefit of the people on the both sides, the presence of terrorists on the launchpads and their continuous attempts to infiltrate are on,” he added.
The GoC said that Pakistan is desperate and will continue to try to infiltrate militants despite a robust anti-infiltration grid in place.
“The LoC is over 740 km which includes very difficult terrain and then there were spells of inclement weather. So, despite the vigilance, there are gaps from where they try and infiltrate terrorists and war-like stores,” he said.
However, he said that the level of technology and alertness is improving with each passing day.
“So, the infiltration has come down significantly, which is also indicated by the peace in the hinterland. So, we feel they are getting more and more desperate to push in these people from anyway possible. This one attempt made early in the morning is indicative of their desperation and their frustration,” he said, adding that the swift elimination of terrorists sends a clear signal of the level of preparedness of troops on the LoC.
