Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 24: Amidst heightened tensions along Indo-Pak borders with troops yesterday launching massive counter assault on Pakistani troops at the Line of Control (LoC), top Army Commanders today separately met Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and held high level review of situation prevailing along the borders with particular reference to strengthening of Counter Infiltration and Counter Terrorism Grids.
Western Army Command chief Lt Gen Surinder Singh and General Officer Commanding (GOC), 9 Corps, headquartered at Yol Cantonment, Lt Gen Ashok Amre reached here this morning and held detailed inter-actions with the Governor at the Raj Bhawan and the Chief Minister at Civil Secretariat separately for about half an hour each.
Sources told the Excelsior that the Army Commanders briefed both the Governor and the Chief Minister on situation prevailing along the borders with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and steps taken by the Army to counter Pakistani action and protect civilians living on the borders.
They were understood to have given detailed overview of the situation prevailing along the borders with Pakistan post September 29 surgical strikes by the Indian Army inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in which 50 militants and Pakistan army personnel were killed.
The top Army Commanders were reported to have briefed the Governor and the Chief Minister on troops’ preparedness on the frontiers with Pakistan and steps taken to ensure safety and protection of the civilians living within the shelling and firing range on the borders.
An official handout issued by the Raj Bhawan after the meeting between the Army Commanders and the Governor here this afternoon said the Governor and the Western Army Command chief discussed obtaining security situation and several important issues about effective management of Counter Infiltration and Counter Terrorism Grids along the International Border (IB).
Another official handout issued by the State Government said Western Command chief Lt Gen Surinder Singh called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and briefed her about latest situation obtaining on the borders as a result of continuing cross border shelling.
It said the Chief Minister asked the Army Commander to extend all possible help to the civil administration in border areas in rehabilitation and safety of people living there.
The Western Command and Yol Cantonment based 9 Corps has jurisdiction over 187 kilometers international boundary in Jammu region spread over three border districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua, which had witnessed intense shelling post surgical strikes of September 29 in which six civilians were killed in single day on November 1 at Ramgarh sector of Samba district while another civilian was killed in Kanachak sector. Three BSF jawans were also martyred on the International Border.
Sources said the troops were well prepared to meet with any eventuality on the borders in anticipation of any kind of retaliation from Pakistan after the killing of 15 persons on their sides yesterday including six Army personnel as there were reports that Pakistan could resort to Bat Action or push infiltrators into the Indian side to target forward posts of security forces and civilian locations.
After Indian forces hit back at Pakistan with full force yesterday following killing of three Army jawans in Macchil on Tuesday, the body of one of whom was mutilated, Pakistan yesterday called up Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and requested for DGMO level talks to ease tensions on the LoC. India, however, is yet to respond to Pakistan’s offer of talks.
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