Four days after an Indian jawan was killed in suspected BAT operation 700 metre deep inside the Indian territory along the line of Control in Pallanwan sector of Akhnoor, a senior Army officer on Saturday openly questioned the role of the Pakistan Army behind the daring strike.
The officer in question is currently heading the Nagrota-based 16 corps headquarters. Interacting with mediapersons after attending the Vijay Diwas ceremony at Nagrota, lt Gen KH Singh, GoC of 16 corps, claimed, we cannot confirm or deny the involvement of the Pakistan Army in the recent killing of an Indian soldier along the loC.
lt-Gen Singh, however, clearly stated we have every reason to believe if the Pakistan Army was serious they could have easily discouraged these militants from entering inside the Indian territory. The spokesman of the Ministry of Defence in Jammu on July 22 had claimed that Naik Mongchon B, hailing from Nagaland was targeted by terrorists 700 metre deep inside the Indian territory and martyred him in the ensuing gunfight in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor.
The repeated incidents of ceasefire violations and targeted killing of Indian jawans had raised many an eyebrows raising suspicion about the involvement of Pakistan Army-aided BAT teams behind these surgical strikes. In the last two months, two soldiers have sacrificed their lives in similar stirkes in Akhnoor sector. lt Gen Singh, when quizzed further, claimed suspected militants possibly carried out these strikes as he declined to confirm that Army jawans were killed in BAT operations.
Commenting on the measures taken up to check the increasing infiltration bids along the loC, lt-Gen Singh claimed during these months infiltration bids do take place from across the line of Control.