Says ceasefire with Pak holding along LoC
New Delhi: General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), stated on Thursday that India’s adversaries are actively supporting terrorists and terror-related activities in the Rajouri and Poonch regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Although not explicitly naming any country, these comments are widely perceived as addressing Pakistan’s ongoing support for cross-border terrorism in J&K.
General Pande, addressing the Army’s annual press conference, called the situation in those two regions a “source of concern”, and said, “There was peace there till 2017/18 (but) this is now an area where our adversaries have been active…”
“In the last five to six months, in Rajouri and Poonch, there has been increase in terrorism. This is a matter of concern. If you see… before 2003 terrorism in that area was eradicated, and peace was there till 2017/18. But now, because of the situation normalising in the Valley, our adversaries are active there.”
“In terms of abetting terrorism and encouraging proxy tanzeems (proxies of known terror groups)… In the last three years 45 terrorists were eliminated in this area. Last year alone there were five infiltration bids, which were foiled, and six terrorists were eliminated in those attempts. Even in the hinterland about 14 terrorists were neutralised,” the General said.
General Pande also shared a nine-point action plan to improve the situation in Rajouri, including enhanced intelligence gathering and better synergy with police and local security officials.
The nine points outlined by the General also include an emphasis on outreach to local populations and respect for human rights, both of which are crucial messages in the light of the death of three civilians after they were detained for questioning following a terror attack in Poonch that killed four soldiers.
Enhanced deployment and reorienting specific units, as well as human intelligence, and use of technology and instituting learnings from previous encounters are also key, the General said.
The Army Chief’s comments come after multiple terror attacks in the Poonch and Rajouri areas, including an ambush of two military vehicles in the former district last month.
Our operational preparedness continues to be at a high level, he said, noting that the Indian Army is maintaining adequate reserves to confront any security challenge in the region.
Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.
On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Gen Pande said the ceasefire understanding with Pakistan is holding along the Line of Control (LoC) though there have been infiltration attempts.
We are foiling infiltration attempts along the LoC, he said.
Gen Pande said there has been a drop in overall incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir but such incidents have increased in Rajouri-Poonch sector.
Terror infra continues to thrive across the border, he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan’s support to various terrorist groups.
This is an area where our adversary is active in abetting terrorism, he said referring to Rajouri-Poonch sector.
Asked about talks between Bhutan and China to resolve their boundary dispute, Gen Pande suggested the developments having bearing on India’s security are being monitored.
We have robust military engagement with Bhutan and closely monitoring developments, he said The Army Chief described the situation along the Indo-Myanmar border as a matter of concern.
We are closely watching developments there, he said.He also said that integration of Agniveers into the Army is moving forward well.The Army Chief also said that 2024 will be year of technology adoption for the Indian Army as part of overall modernisation of the force.(Agencies)
