Kashmir ‘Has Potential to Blow Up into a Regional Crisis’: Pak PM

Five to seven Pakistani army regulars or terrorists have been killed and their bodies are still lying on the LoC.

Photos of the bodies still lying at the spot were presented as proof of the attempt by Pakistan. 

(Photo: ANI/Altered by The Quint)

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday, 4 August, said that Kashmir situation will “blow up into a regional crisis” and said that it was time for US President Donald Trump to mediate over the conflict zone.

The Indian Army on Saturday, 3 August, said that it had foiled an attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) on a forward post along the Line of Control (LoC), in Jammu and Kashmir’s Keran sector.

In the process, it killed at least five to seven intruders, a defence spokesman in Srinagar said, as per PTI.

The Indian army has asked the Pakistan Army ‘to approach with white flag and take over the dead bodies for last rites,’ reported ANI. The army hasn’t received a response yet.

Meanwhile, Major General Asif Ghafoor, Spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, has denied the entire incident.

He tweeted, “Indian allegations of cross LOC action by Pakistan and possession of bodies are mere propaganda. Such blatant lies / staged dramas are Indian disinformation manoeuvre to divert world attention from increased atrocities by Indian Occupation Forces inside IOJ&K.”

The BAT generally comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistani Army.

“A BAT attempt was made on one of the forward posts in Keran sector (in Kupwara district) and foiled by alert troops resulting in neutralising of five to seven Pak regulars/terrorists,” defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said, according to PTI.

Photos Show Bodies Lying on Indian Side of LoC

At least four bodies, possibly of Pakistan Army's Special Service Group (SSG) commandos or terrorists, were seen in close proximity of the Indian post in the sector, army sources said, according to PTI.

Search operations and attempts to take the bodies were being continuously interfered with by Pakistani troops deployed in the area, they added.

Images released to the press showed the bodies lying on the Indian side of the Line of Control.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Sources told PTI that the attempt by the BAT was made on the intervening night of 31 July and 1 August.

The incident comes amid heightened security and panic in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir has been on edge since Friday, 2 August, when an order by the J&K government asked tourists and Amarnath yatris to "curtail their stay” in the Valley, triggered panic among the residents.

The Indian Army and police held a joint press briefing about intelligence inputs that there were attempts by Pakistan to disrupt/target the Amarnath yatra.

Numerous Attempts by Pakistan to Disturb Peace in Valley

The defence spokesperson said Pakistan has made a number of attempts in the last 36 hours to disturb peace in the Valley and to target Amarnath Yatra.

The defence spokesperson said four hardcore Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were neutralised in two operations in which a cache of sniper rifles, IEDs and mines with Pakistan markings were recovered.

"This clearly indicates complicity of Pakistan in terror activities. Security forces will continue to respond to all nefarious activities along the LoC and hinterland," he added.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)