This is the fourth infiltration bid in past 12 days and sixth in the last three weeks along the Indo-Pak border in J-K.

A group of unidentified militants entered Indian territory under the cover of cross-border firing along LoC in Keri sub-sector of Rajouri district late on Wednesday night, he said.

There was firing on a patrolling party on the Indian side near Khalsa post in Keri belt along LoC when troops detected some movement and challenged them.

The unidentified militants opened fired on the troops, who replied back resulting in gunbattle, he said adding that militants later escaped back to Pakistani side after brief firefight.

However in the gunbattle, one jawan was killed, he said, adding that there were no reports about the loss on the other side.

The deceased jawan was identified as Sepoy Amarjeet Singh of Sangrore district of Punjab. Singh belonged to the 2 Sikh unit.

There is an increase in infiltration attempts from across the border. But alert troops have beaten back these attempts. This show desperation in militant leadership of Pakistan to send in more armed militants in view of coming assembly elections, he said.

BSF troops on October 3 had foiled an infiltration bid under cover of fire from the Pakistan side and killed an infiltrator along Indo-Pak border in Kunara Tana Khurd area of Jammu district.

Troops foiled an infiltration bid on October 1 along International Border (IB) in Kanachak sub-sector of Jammu district as Pakistani rangers opened fire at Tent Post to push a group of militants into J-K.

Similarly an attempt by Pakistani troops on September 27 to infiltrate into India along IB via Chak Fagwari area in Pargwal belt on Jammu was foiled by BSF.

On September 22, security forces foiled another infiltration bid and killed four militants when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and opened small arms firing on Indian posts along LoC in Tarkundi forward areas in Poonch district.

On September 18, there was firing from Pakistan across LoC on forward posts of Panjal and Kopra of Poonch district.

Since January this year, Pakistani troops have violated five-year-old ceasefire agreement 35 times and Indian troops have refused to retaliate on many occasions.

Army and BSF have beefed up security along LoC and IB in J&K after intelligence inputs reported presence of several big groups of ultras waiting to enter J&K.

Pakistani breaches of ceasefire and infiltrations bids were reported from Jammu, Samba, Rajouri, Uri, Tanghdhar and Poonch sectors this year, from where a number of ultras were trying to infiltrate into India.