Following a surge in militant strikes and counter-infiltration operations resulting in the killing of 16 militants across Kashmir Valley in less than two weeks, the security grid has been spruced up along some of the vital Army installations dotted along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway in Jammu region and a ‘wall of defence’ is being set up.
These security camps, targeted by the suicide squad of Pakistan-based lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) militant outfits in the past, fall in the close proximity of the International Border with Pakistan and remain high value targets for fidayeen groups.
After the Pathankot airbase was targeted in January 2016, a high-level security audit of these Army installations was ordered by the Centre to prevent repeats of similar strikes.
After completing the ground-level work, the Western Command had launched a comprehensive drive to fortify its defences and had also decided to raise a ‘wall of defence’ to deny any armed infiltrator the opportunity to target the area even from outside the camps.
The wall was needed as most of the camps along the arterial road are located at a lower pedestal and it was possible to target them from the road. Even while the fortification work is in progress the Army authorities have been maintaining a constant vigil along the highway through watch towers and sentry positions raised along the boundary walls of every Army camp.
With Amarnath yatra slated to begin from the first week of July the State police and paramilitary forces have also geared up their defences to ensure smooth conduct of the yatra. Several community kitchens and shelter points have been set up along the highway for the assistance of pilgrims. Ensuring the security of pilgrims en route the cave shrine is accorded top priority during the yatra period.
The State police too have raised several security check points and are using close circuit television cameras to record suspicious movement of anti-national elements along the strategic highway.
A robust multi-agency command structure was also set up after the Pathankot airbase strike to minimise the response time in order to effectively deal with the situation. The Army authorities have stationed their Quick Reaction Teams along the highway to neutralise any potent threat. The border roads and security check points set up in the interior roads have been activated following fresh Intelligence inputs of possible infiltration bids from across the International Border.
BSF jawans have been regularly reporting suspicious movement of anti-national elements on the other side of the border and have also raised the issue with their Pakistani counterparts during their recent flag meeting in RS Pura sector. Certain objections were also raised over raising of infrastructure along the border.