'Militants across LoC will make last-ditch effort before winter'

General-officer-Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lieutenant-General D.P. Pandey has said there is no requirement for additional troops or lessening their numbers at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The senior army officer also said that the Army was vigilant and would not allow any infiltration into the valley.

Speaking to reporters at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar recently, 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, Lt. Gen. Pandey said that militants across the border would 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,” Lt. General Pandey said.

“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 also said that counter-infiltration measures were 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.

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Referring to the recent encounters between security forces and militants, the officer said that the operations going on for the last few days were standard ones based on intelligence, and were 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,” the senior Army officer said.

Lt Gen. Pandey said that while there had 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,” Lt. General Pandey added.

(With inputs from Agencies)