According to police sources, a large group of ultras have infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir's [Images] Poonch district and were heading for Tangmargh belt to meet a Lashker-e-Tayiba 'chief' to engineer a major attack on the eve of Independence Day.

The infiltration took place via the Line of Control [Images] on July 30. Police gathered this information from a youth who was abducted by the militants to act as a guide.

The group, numbering 20 to 22, had infiltrated into Poonch via Doonigram area along LoC and kidnapped Mohmmad Sharief, a villager, to use him as a guide, the sources told PTI.

However, after two days of guiding them in Poonch via Loran, where one militant was killed by troops on July 31, Sharief gave them a slip and escaped Tuesday night, they said.

He approached security forces and police in Poonch and divulged this information. Sharief told them that a LeT militant group is heading to Tangmargh belt of Baramulla district via Poonch to meet their LeT 'chief of operations' for engineering a major attack on the eve of coming Independence Day.

On his information, security forces and police have launched a major operation in Pirpanchal and passes towards it have been blocked by troops, the sources said, adding additional troops have been deployed to track down the militants.