Chairs joint meeting of top officials
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 15: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan today met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Lok Bhawan here to discuss prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He also chaired high-level meeting with top brass of all security and Intelligence agencies to review the situation before returning to New Delhi at the end of his two-day visit here.
Yesterday, the Home Secretary held separate meetings with paramilitary forces of CRPF and BSF besides the JKP, Army and Intelligence agencies.
Govind Mohan had an hour long meeting with Manoj Sinha at the Lok Bhawan here this morning. While no official statement was issued, sources said security scenario in detail was discussed during the meeting.
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“A strategy is being worked out to ensure that the terrorists, mostly foreigners, hiding in mountainous region of Jammu division including Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur and some other districts, are neutralized well before they try to strike. Anti-infiltration measures and smashing network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) are also on top of agenda,” sources told the Excelsior.
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The Lieutenant Governor and the Home Secretary are understood to have discussed the security situation, ongoing anti-terror operations and the operational preparedness of the security setup in J&K.
Inter-agency coordination among the police, paramilitary forces, the Army and Intelligence agencies and issues related to enhanced security measures in the hilly areas of Jammu in view of recent activities of terrorists were also reviewed.
The Home Secretary chaired high-level joint meeting of top brass of BSF, CRPF, JKP and Intelligence agencies among others to take feedback from them and devise strategy for stepping-up operations against the terrorists and ensuring zero infiltration on the borders with Pakistan, the sources said.
Top officials of Jammu and Kashmir from civil and police administration, Intelligence agencies, BSF, CRPF among others attended the joint meeting held today for comprehensive security review and formulation of strategy to neutralize the terrorists, smash OGW network, enhance intelligence gathering and ensure that no infiltration takes place from across the border, the sources said.
Director Generals of BSF and CRPF, who attended the meetings yesterday, were also present in joint security review meeting.
The meeting also reviewed border security management, security enhancement in the hills of Jammu, inter-agency coordination, and assessed ongoing anti-terror operations and drone incursions along the borders.
“Drones are being effectively engaged and countered by Army and BSF on the LoC and IB respectively. Many drones have been shot down and recoveries made while others flew back,” the sources said, adding that strict surveillance is being maintained by security agencies on the flying objects.
The Home Secretary’s two-day visit to the Jammu region comes a week after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on January 8, directed security forces to continue operations targeting terrorist infrastructure and terror financing in a “mission mode”. Shah chaired a security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on January 8.
Accompanied by a Central team of officers, Mohan reached Jammu on Wednesday afternoon and straightaway headed to the Jammu Convention Centre to chair the high-level meeting.
The meetings were attended by BSF Director General Praveen Kumar, CRPF chief G P Singh, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat, and senior military, police, civil and intelligence officers among others.
Security forces are engaged in massive anti-terror operations, especially in high-altitude areas and forest belts across Jammu, where nearly three dozen terrorists, including Pakistani nationals, are believed to be hiding after infiltrating into the region more than two years ago.
There has also been a spurt in drone activity along the International Border and the Line of Control, with Intelligence reports suggesting the presence of terrorists on Pakistan side waiting to infiltrate under the cover of dense fog.
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