Union Home Secretary chairs security review meeting in Jammu
A day after the Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi cautioned Pakistan to control drone incursion into India, the Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired a high-level security review meeting in Jammu on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the Union Home Secretary, along with Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, BSF Director General Praveen Kumar, CRPF chief GP Singh and Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat, as well as senior military, police, civil and intelligence officers, reviewed security arrangements for the upcoming Republic Day celebrations as well as assessed the ongoing anti-terror operations and drone incursions along the borders. The fresh security audit was conducted less than seven days after the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on January 8, directed security forces to continue with their operations targeting terrorist infrastructure and terror financing in a “mission mode”.
Frequent drone intrusions from across the border over the past few days have also emerged as a major security concern, prompting the deployment of additional forces at vulnerable locations. Intensified patrolling, area domination exercises and night surveillance are being carried out to prevent any infiltration attempt or airdropping of arms and narcotics. While the security review meeting was going on, massive anti-terrorist operations continued in the Billawar area of Kathua district to neutralise the Pakistani terrorist trapped by the security forces in the Najote forest area in Billawar tehsil.
According to the latest assessment reports, nearly three dozen terrorists, including Pakistani nationals, are believed to be hiding after managing to infiltrate into the region more than two years ago.
There has also been a spurt in drone activities along the International Border and Line of Control, with intelligence reports suggesting the presence of terrorists waiting to infiltrate under the cover of dense fog. Ahead of Republic Day, security has been tightened across the Jammu region, particularly in border villages and high-altitude areas, to curb terrorist activities.
