Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR Oct 13 : The Army today said that at least 250 militants are ready to sneak into Kashmir but troops are alert and well-equipped to foil any such attempts.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Machil Mela in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Kupwara based Army’s 28-division, Major General ADS Aujla said that 250 militants are ready to infiltrate this year as they are based on the launch pads across the LoC. “Troops are laced with the latest equipment and ready to foil all the infiltration bids,” he said.
Referring to Pakistan about the use of winter cover, the GOC said the Army is well trained and laced with latest equipment that will help trace and track the infiltrators using white cover.
He said that not a single person has joined militancy in the past one year in the district. “After remaining the hub of militancy for almost 30 years, Kupwara is growing as a most normal district in the region. People here haven’t joined militant ranks for a year now and no drone attempt to drop weapons close to LoC has been made so far,” said the GOC.
He said still there is some time for snowfall and desperate attempts will be made to push in more infiltrators. “But if militants are ready to infiltrate so are we to thwart any such attempt,” Major General Aujla said.
The GOC said no new youth has joined the militancy in entire Kupwara district in past one year. “No agitation, no stone pelting, no recruitment has happened for past one year in Kupwara district,” he said.
To a question about the deployment or Army’s women wing in the district, he said they have deployed Army constables at some vital places to stop the smuggling of weapons, currency and drugs in Tanghdar area of the district.
“Women soldiers are frisking women carriers of militants which earlier was an issue for us as we couldn’t frisk women carriers. Women soldiers are assisted by the women SPOs of (J&K) Police. Let me tell you, since the deployment of women soldiers, we have been able to plug the supply of drugs, Pakistani currency, weapons etc,” he said.
Responding to a query about the use of drones to deliver the weapons, the GOC said that this is a reality but there is nothing such in Kupwara district and this is happening in Jammu and Punjab divisions only. “Our deployment and high altitude is a major challenge for them to use drone to drop the weapons,” the Army officer said.
About the Machil Mela, he said that soldiers enjoy close relation with the people in Machil since long. “The area remains cut off for six months and Army with local people live like a family,” he said.
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