Ops against terrorists, infiltration, OGW network dominate agenda
Intelligence officials too give detailed briefing
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 14: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan today held back-to-back meetings with BSF, CRPF and JKP top brass separately and will hold joint meeting of all security and Intelligence agencies tomorrow for comprehensive review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir with special reference to ongoing anti-terror operations, strengthening of counter-Infiltration Grid and identification of OGWs.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Sources told the Excelsior that the Home Secretary held separate meetings with top officers of CRPF, BSF and JKP at Jammu Convention Centre and took feedback on ground situation. CRPF Director General GP Singh, BSF Director General Praveen Kumar and JKP Director General Nalin Prabhat attended the meetings of CRPF, BSF and JKP respectively. BSF and CRPF chiefs reached here from New Delhi today to join security review sessions.
A separate meeting is also reported to have taken place with the Army.
“Tomorrow, the Union Home Secretary will chair joint security review meeting of all security and Intelligence agencies before returning to New Delhi in the afternoon,” the sources said.
They said the Home Secretary wanted views of all security agencies engaged in anti-terror operations and anti-infiltration measures in Jammu and Kashmir and that is why the meetings with CRPF, BSF and JKP top brass were held separately and a detailed review of ongoing operations especially in mountainous areas was taken.
While Army is engaged in counter-infiltration measures along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara districts in the Valley, the BSF has been manning the International Border (IB) with Pakistan in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Army, CRPF, JKP and SOG have been carrying out operations against the terrorists in different areas of the UT especially the hilly belts of Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Udhampur and other districts where some foreign terrorists are reportedly hiding.
“Tomorrow’s joint security review meeting with all security agencies including JKP and Intelligence wings is expected to formulate a strategy to step-up operations to eliminate the terrorists hiding in the hinterland and further strengthen Anti-Infiltration Grid to keep intrusions from Pakistan side to zero,” the sources said.
The Intelligence officials of Jammu and Kashmir are also understood to have given their viewpoint on the situation especially pertaining to intelligence gathering and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) who have been assisting the terrorists in providing food and other essential items in this extreme winter besides moving them from one place to another.
Security agencies are of the view that cracking OGW network will help in eliminating the terrorists who can’t survive without food, clothing and other necessities for a long time. Efforts in this regard are already on, they said.
A series of contacts have been established by security forces with the terrorists in upper reaches and far off areas of Kishtwar, Kathua and Udhampur districts in the recent past. However, there has been no major report of infiltration attempt on the LoC as well as IB.
There has also been a spurt in drone activities along the International Border and Line of Control, with intelligence reports suggesting the presence of terrorists waiting to infiltrate under the cover of dense fog.
The visit of the Union Home Secretary-led Central officials to the Jammu region comes less than a week after Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on January 8. Shah’s meeting among others was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials of MHA, paramilitary forces, Intelligence agencies and senior civil and police officials of J&K.
Appreciating the efforts of the security agencies for strengthening security scenario of J&K, Shah had stated that “counter-terror operations targeting terrorist infrastructure and terror financing in a mission mode should be continued”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
