There is no requirement for additional troops or lessening their numbers at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army is vigilant and will not allow any infiltration into the valley, a senior Army officer said in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar after the send-off ceremony for 85 students from the Kashmir Valley who will attend various courses in the Mewar University in Rajasthan under Operation Sadbhavana, General officer Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt. Gen. D. P. Pandey said militants across the border will try to make last-ditch efforts to infiltrate into the Indian side before the onset of winter.
“This is a last-ditch opportunity for our inimical agents across (the LoC) to ensure that they can push terrorists and terrorist groups. We have been getting inputs. There have been two infiltration attempts in Uri and Rampur sectors, which were not only foiled, but they were neutralised and eliminated.”
“The inputs will keep on coming and I can assure you that we are absolutely vigilant on the LoC. We will not allow any infiltrators to come through. One or two who will come through, will be eliminated with the help of the people of Kashmir inside the Kashmir valley,” Lt. Gen. Pandey said.
He said counter-infiltration measures are already in place along the LoC and there is no need for additional forces or lessening their numbers for keeping infiltration under check.
“I do not think that there is a requirement to push in more forces or take out any forces (from the LoC). I have got enough forces to ensure it (stop infiltration),” the GoC said.
Referring to the recent encounters between security forces and militants, the senior Army officer said the operations going on for the last few days are standard ones based on intelligence and are not connected to the spike in civilian killings by militants of late.
“The operations here have been going on for the last few days. This is the standard process of operations based on intelligence. So I would not like to connect it to any events before or after,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Pandey said while there has not been an increase in the number of attacks, Pakistan is pulling the levers from across the LoC, in a bid to disturb the communal harmony in the valley.
“I do not think there has been an increase or something. But yes, there have been civilian killings. Each and every loss is important for the families, for the country. I can assure you that these levers are being driven from across the LoC and we have to be very careful to ensure that the communal harmony of the Kashmir valley is not disturbed by these brutal and condemnable killings,” he added.
