Kupwara: Pakistan has stepped up push-in of trained militants into Jammu and Kashmir with twin objectives of forcing India to enter into peace talks and to escalate violence in the state, which was limping back to normalcy, a senior Army officer said on September 18.

Pakistan's attempts to push-in trained militants all along the line of control (LoC) have reached a stage of desperation as in the first fortnight of the current month 18 infiltration bids have been foiled in Kupwara and Baramulla sectors, Brigadier, General Staff 15 Corps, A K Gupta told reporters.

The latest encounter between infiltrators and security forces was on September 17 in Gulmarg sector of Baramulla district, where four foreign ultras were killed. Four AK 47 rifles, two radio sets, ammunition and explosives were recovered, he said.

Gupta said 60 militants have been killed in the first 18 days of the current month and a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and warlike stores have been recovered from them.

On an average, one infiltration bid per day has been foiled by the security forces, who are determined to scuttle the attempts of the enemy to escalate violence in the Valley.

"The objective behind the fresh infiltration bids was to force India to have peace talks and to intensify violence in the Valley which was limping back to normalcy," Gupta said.

Recovery of foreign currency from infiltrators clearly indicated the involvement of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Taleban, he said. "Some of the infiltrators may well be Afghan nationals."

He said the coming weeks would be crucial as Pakistan would try to push in as many militants as they could before the onset of the winter when the peaks and infiltration routes get blocked by snow.

PTI