Calls for high alert to thwart intrusions
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: A day after review of situation along Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat today held high-level review of overall security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan with top Army Commanders at the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur.
Top Army Commanders including Northern Command chief Lt Gen Dev Raj Anbu, General Officers Commanding (GOCs) of various Corps and other senior military functionaries attended the high-level meeting and briefed Gen Rawat on the situation prevailing along LoC with Pakistan and hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Army chief inter-acted with the senior Military Commanders and took a firsthand assessment of the prevailing operational conditions and operational preparedness of the troops along the LoC with Pakistan,” sources said, adding that Gen Rawat appreciated highest standards of operational readiness in the difficult terrain and challenging operational environment.
The General lauded synergy and cooperation between the Northern Command, Air Force, Central Armed Police Force, civil administration and Jammu and Kashmir Police, operating in the region. He called for maintaining high level of alert all along the LoC to thwart the infiltration attempts by the militants.
Sources said the Army chief was reportedly briefed on infiltration attempts by the militants on LoC including the one which was successful but all four militants, who had infiltrated, were gunned down by Army along with Border Security Force (BSF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) in Sunderbani recently, thus, thwarting a major terror attack on security installations.
According to sources, the Army chief reportedly reviewed latest status of situation on the LoC especially in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, which have been worst affected by exchange of shelling and firing between India and Pakistan and where five members of a civilian family were recently killed and two others were injured in Pakistan shelling in Balakote sector of Poonch.
However, during the past few days, intensity of mortar shelling and firing between the two sides has considerably come down, sources said, adding that there were still large number of militants camping at launching pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) across Rajouri and Poonch, and there reports that they could try to infiltrate into this side getting an opportunity.
“In view of this, the Army was already maintaining very high alert all along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources pointed out.
The Chief of Army Staff was yesterday briefed on the operational preparedness in Eastern Ladakh sector. He appreciated the efforts of troops deployed in harsh weather conditions,” sources said.
Gen Rawat’s visit boosted the morale of soldiers deployed in difficult locations in Ladakh in extreme hostile weather conditions and rugged terrain with lack of adequate infrastructure like road connectivity etc.
Though there have been no major face-offs between Sino-Indian troops in Eastern Ladakh sector for the past quite some time now, the Indian troops always remained on high alert to guard against any kind of incursions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
However, despite peaceful situation, Indian Army has been taking no chances along LAC with China in all five States, where India shares boundary with the neighbouring country especially after Dokalam incident where the troops of two countries remained in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation for nearly two months before both sides retreating.
India shares LAC with China in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Indian troops all along the LAC with China have been maintaining high degree of alert and keeping strict vigil on the situation though there has been no major standoff anywhere after Dokalam.
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