In a two-pronged strategy, the Army is filling gaps in the border deployment and stepping up operations to neutralise terrorists in the Valley, even as India weighs its response to the killing of 18 soldiers.
The measures include some troop realignment to plug holes in the border fence along the Line of Control (LoC) and targeted strikes.
“Some troop movement is taking place to fill gaps in the fence. But the room for movement is limited,” sources told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The sources said the Army top brass was discussing the need, if it arises, to move a reserve division from outside to fill gaps in fencing. The fence has also been damaged at places and needs to be repaired, they pointed out.
The Army is likely to mount specific action on terrorists and support elements in the Valley in addition to strengthening its numbers. “Over Ground workers and sleeper cells can be eliminated in targeted strikes,” sources said.
Currently, there are an estimated 60-70 foreign and 70-80 local terrorists in the Valley.
On the eve of Eid early this month, the Army moved one brigade to the hinterland in south Kashmir while another two brigades were kept on standby.
But in the hinterland the Army’s limitation is its dependence on State police for intelligence.
“Police are scared as their families can be targeted. Due to this we are not getting open support from them,” another source said.
Alert on attack
Meanwhile, it has come to light that in addition to the general alert on possible terrorist attacks there was a specific alert on possible targeting of the Uri base.
The Counter Intelligence Support Unit (CISU) of the Army’s 15 Corps had issued a specific warning but no action was taken, sources told The Hindu .
Officials said there is also a strong possibility of insider help. “It takes a month to observe the pattern and movements,” according to an official.
Expressing concern on several attacks in the recent past when the change of units at camps was under way, the official said basic drills had been violated. “Lethargy has crept in and Standard Operating Procedures are not being adhered to,” he added.
Plugging holes in the border fencing is particularly essential as infiltration is expected to go up ahead of the winter months when the passes get blocked.
