JAMMU, Dec 6 — Under strict orders to check infiltration from across the border, the BSF killed 12 infiltrators in the R.S. Pora sector during the early hours of this morning.

Official reports said that the BSF guards observed some movement on the border and opened fire. The search revealed that all the 12 infiltrators had been killed on the spot.

Since it was pitch dark, the BSF jawans guarding the International Border, could not distinguish whether the infiltrators were militants or Bangladeshis. The border has been the main route for people from Bangladesh for crossing over to Pakistan or infiltrating back into the Indian territory.

Those killed were all males and in the age group of 20 to 40. No incriminating documents have been found on their bodies.

Official sources said large groups of Bangladeshis, including women, are lured by touts and other agents to Pakistan for bonded labour. After these innocent people, keen to get some jobs, cross over to Pakistan and face hardships and insults, they sneak back to the Indian territory.

The BSF today adopted a hush-hush attitude while confirming the incident because no arms and ammunition were being carried by the infiltrators.

Meanwhile, the Army foiled another suicide attack in the Cherkote area of the frontier district of Kupwara late last night, shooting dead one of the two Lashkar militants attempting to storm Devar post, a defence spokesman said.

He said troops noticed two militants attempting to sneak into their camp at Devar and challenged them.

The two opened fire and in the retaliatory action, one of them was killed while the other escaped, he said.

He said troops suffered no casualty in the encounter.

However, an official spokesman said four Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were wounded in the gunfight.

An AK assault rifle, five magazines, 140 rounds, six grenades and a wireless set were seized from the deceased militant, he said.

In another major incident, militants attacked the residential house of a police head constable at Surankote in Poonch district late last night, killing two inmates and injuring two others.

The spokesman said militants kidnapped and later shot dead a woman, Malla, whom they suspected to be an informer, at Chewan-Keller village in Pulwama district early today. Malla had escaped unhurt in an attack last week.

A released militant, Khursheed Ahmad Yatoo, was shot dead by ultras at Quimohghat in Anantnag district last night, the spokesman said.