The Army is foreseeing a bigger security challenge in Kashmir in 2014 but maintains that it is fully prepared to confront militants trying to infiltrate or up the ante in the hinterland. This year 24 militants have been neutralised — 11 killed and 13 apprehended, a worrisome sign compared to 2013 when the first militant was neutralised in April.
The statistics were shared by General Officer Commanding XV Corps lt Gen Gurmit Singh during an informal interaction with journalists here. He said the number of operations against militants and frequency of area domination patrols have increased in Kashmir. However, he said the security situation along the line of Control (loC) and the hinterland was under control.
Gen Singh said that the counter-infiltration grid eliminated 39 infiltrators last year and was effective and ready to meet any challenge in future. He said that apprehensions of more infiltration are due to elimination of militants’ leadership in Kashmir. He said district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen for north Kashmir has been killed while his counterpart for south was apprehended.
“Four Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists were killed and five arrested while one lashkar-e-Tayyeba terrorist was killed and six apprehended”, he said. The slain militants were all residents, he said and maintained that the Army has a policy to offer opportunity to local militants to surrender when they are holed-up or caught in ambush. “We always give total chance for him (local militant) to surrender. They are misguided working on abetment”, he said.
To a query on Army’s preparation to counter perceived ripple-effect of US withdrawal from Afghanistan he said the Army would respond to the situation as and when it unfolds. He said the Army would provide “environmental security” during the elections in Kashmir. The Press interaction was mired in controversy following a directive that journalists intending to visit the corps headquarters should avoid wearing pheran, a traditional long woolen robe, due to security hassles. Following journalists’ resentment, the Army lifted the advisory. The Corps Commander apologised for the goof-up.