SRINAGAR, Oct 9:
Amid increasing ceasefire violations from across the Line of Control (LoC) on the Jammu side, a senior Army officer today said the situation was “stable” on this side but the Army’s response would be “firm and focused” whenever there are any such attempts.
“On the Kashmir side, we had two ceasefire violations. One on September 30 and October 1 night and the second time was on the October 3 and 4. After that the situation has been stable,” General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha said.
He said though the areas on the LoC in Kashmir Valley have not witnessed ceasefire violations in the same manner as in Jammu region, the Army would respond in a very firm and focused manner if such things take place here.
“I can comment about what is happening in the Kashmir region and not in Jammu. And in the Kashmir region, we haven’t had any such instances (of firing on civilian areas) and wherever occasions have come, I maintain that the response has to be very firm, it has to be focused.
“I maintain that whatever happens on the LoC, as in such ceasefire violations, they are tactical actions and are best dealt with tactically,” he said.
The Army commander said ceasefire violations have “localized dynamics” and it was important to see through both the causes of the violations and the effects of the response.
“Ceasefire violations have localized dynamics and the response has to be very firm, focused and, I should think, it has to be effect-based. Equally it is important that we see through the causes and the effects both,” he said.
Asked whether BSF was effectively dealing with the ceasefire violations in certain sensitive areas along the LoC and International Border (IB), Lt Gen Saha said “as far as the Kashmir region is concerned, on the LoC, the BSF battalions operate as part of the army. So the arrangement in Kashmir is pretty fine”.
He said there is an attempt from across the LoC to carry out infiltration and about 200 militants were waiting to infiltrate into the Valley.
“If you have seen, right through the month of September, while the Kashmir region was suffering because of the absolutely unprecedented floods, we had several attempts of infiltration and each one of that attempt has been foiled.
“And during this duration from September 1 till now, 18 terrorists have been killed, of which majority have been killed on the LoC while they were trying to infiltrate. So, clearly there is an attempt to carry out the infiltration and clearly there are numbers that are there across. And our assessment is that it is anything between 180 to 200 that are waiting to infiltrate,” he said.
Lt Gen Saha said most of the infiltration attempts have been along the LoC in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
“Most of the attempts that have been foiled, they have been in Tangdhar sector, Keran sector, and Machil sector (all in Kupwara) and 12 terrorists have been killed in these sectors since September 1,” he said.
He said the fence along the LoC was damaged at some places due to the floods, but it has been repaired and was up to check the infiltration.
“The fence is up. All that elements that constitute what we call the robust counter infiltration grid, all those elements are in place and the results of which you are seeing,” he said, referring to the killing of 12 militants on the LoC.
In the wake of stone pelting incidents and alleged presence of Islamic State (IS) flag during a rally here, Saha said it is closely monitoring the situation and the issue was getting the highest concern of all security agencies.
“Certainly, we are watching and closely monitoring the situation as it were. As per my inputs, there was one incident of the kind that you refer to that of the (IS) flag. We are watching the situation as this is something which merits the highest concern of all security agencies and let me tell you that it is getting the attention of all the security agencies,” Saha said.
Lt Gen Saha said the stone-pelting incidents on the choppers involved in rescue and relief operations during the floods last month were “isolated” and driven by “angst” among the people.
“Those were isolated incidents. Isolated incidents of, I would say, angst rather than anger … Because it is driven by a complex web of uncertainties in their mind which transitions from having to worry about food, medicines, education for children, their own livelihood, their money, so on and so forth,” he said.
The Army commander said such incidents were dealt in a befitting manner under the prevalent circumstances.
“They were isolated incidents and we have dealt with them in a manner which was befitting to the circumstances of that kind,” he said.
Lt Gen Saha rejected the reports of militants carrying out rescue operations in south Kashmir during the floods saying, “we have no such reports whatsoever”.
He said it was important to create secure conditions for the approaching tourism season and the Assembly elections in the state.
“I call it ‘sehlab se salamaati’ (from floods to safety). It is so important for these reasons (for tourism and polls) that we have secure conditions in which, first, people are able to resume their normal life and livelihood, specially the most needy ones and in that sense also helping them to reconstruct their homes particularly in those areas that need this kind of help.
“Second, they prepare themselves and ourselves for the fast approaching winters. And the third equally important point is to have the youth positively engaged. So, from our point of view we are looking at these three factors. Now, the moment you look in these directions, tourism becomes a very important factor because tourism is linked with the livelihood of the people here,” he said.
The Army commander said whatever the force was doing for the people of the Valley post the floods, it was doing so in a collaborative manner taking the civil administration and people on board.
“Whether it was the flood rescue period, you all are aware of how the youth of Kashmir was so closely involved with us in carrying out the rescue operations.
“I have said it before and I say it again that I cannot imagine a situation where we would have been able to accomplish our mission without the active participation and guidance and help of the youth and of course the local people,” Saha said.
He said even when it came to immediate relief, the Army has operated through local bodies, organizations and agencies, which have helped it to reach the needy.
Lt Gen Saha said the Army may be initiating the activities but was doing everything only with the collaboration of the people and in consultations with the civil administration.
“Even now, we are having a series of blood-donation camps. It is happening exactly as per the advice of the local doctors and consultations with the health secretary and so on. We have had one (blood donation camp) in Rangreth, we are having one in Badami Bagh Cantonment today. This will be followed by one in Sopore on September 11 and then Baramulla, Anantnag and so on.
“So, whatever activities that we are doing, we may be initiating, but everything is being done with the collaboration of the people,” he said. (PTI)
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