Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 19: Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag is reaching Srinagar tomorrow for high level review of security situation in the Kashmir valley, which has been witnessing disturbances for the past over 10 days now, leading to more than 40 killings and leaving over 3200 including 1500 security personnel injured.
Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda reached Srinagar this evening to brief Gen Suhag at the high level security review meeting, which would be first by the Army chief since disturbances broke out in the Valley on July 8 after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps Lt Gen SK Dua and other senior Kashmir based Army officers will be present at the security review meeting, which among other things will discuss involvement of militants in fanning trouble by mixing up with the protesters, infiltration attempts on the Line of Control (LoC), presence of militants in the hinterland in the State and their attempt to create trouble, security arrangements for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji and role of Army in the present scenario, official sources told the Excelsior.
The Army chief’s visit comes just a day after three protesters including two women were killed and two others injured in firing by the troops on protesters at Qazigund on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The Army has already ordered a court of inquiry and regretted the incident that took three lives.
Sources said though the prevailing situation in the Kashmir valley is high on agenda of tomorrow’s high-level Army meeting, all other aspects of the situation in entire Jammu and Kashmir including level of infiltration from the LoC this summer, presence of militants in the State, strengthening of anti-infiltration and anti-militancy Grids and arrangements for Shri Amarnath Ji yatra, would be taken up in the meeting.
GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda and GOC Srinagar based 15 Corps Lt Gen SK Dua would gave detailed briefing to the Army chief on all aspects of the situation, who, in turn, will brief Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Army chief would return to New Delhi tomorrow afternoon.
Army has reports that number of successful infiltration on the LoC in the Kashmir valley had been high during first six months of this year as compared to corresponding period last year. However, at the same time, number of the militants killed in encounters, was also more than the previous year. Three days back, Army had killed three hardcore Pakistani militants on the LoC in Sabjian sector of Poonch, which indicated that the militants also wanted to activate the LoC in Jammu region.
Few days back, Army had moved its two Infantry battalions from Jammu, the area of 16 Corps, to the Kashmir valley to strengthen its position on the LoC as well as hinterland.
Meanwhile, Western Command chief Lt Gen KJ Singh today visited Jammu and Pathankot to review working of the Security Grid and arrangements made for Shri Amarnath ji pilgrimage on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
Lt Gen Singh, whose Command controls three strategic border districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua comprising 198 kilometers long boundary, had detailed review of situation prevailing on the borders, hinterland and arrangements made for Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrims on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
GOC 9 Corps based at Yol Cantonment Lt Gen Parveen Amre, GOC Jammu Based Tiger Division Maj Gen Sanjeev Sharma and AOC Air Force Air Commodore Ashutosh Lal were present at the meeting chaired by Lt Gen KJ Singh in Jammu during the day.
This was Western Commander’s second visit to Jammu in less than a fortnight to review security arrangements on the border and Amarnath Yatris and strengthening Security Grid.
He also addressed the ‘Sainik Sammelan’ and called upon the troops to maintain high level of vigil and alertness along the borders and other places of deployment.
Recently, the Western Army Commander had taken stock of the situation in Kathua, Samba and Jammu where he had interacted with the senior officials of the Air Force, CRPF and BSF.
Sources said he exhorted all agencies to ensure that there is no untoward incident especially during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. He also stressed on the requirement to further refine the coordinated response of the security forces against possible terrorist strikes.
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