Fayaz Bukhari
Baramulla, Apr 15: As the militants across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) are making attempts to infiltrate in May this year before the onset of summer, Army has started repairing the damaged LoC fence a month in advance to counter their designs.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Baramulla based 19 Division of the Army, Major General V G Khandare told Excelsior that Army engineers have started repairing the LoC fence in the first week of April ahead of schedule. “Normally we used to start the repair works in the first week of May but this year we started it early due to militant designs of infiltrating in May”, the GOC said.
The General said that they are anticipating infiltration in May this year and this led to advancing of repair work by a month. He said that wherever snow has started melting, Army is doing the repair work.
The General said that 20-30 per cent fence was damaged due to snow and avalanches this year and Army engineers are working overtime to complete the work. “They will finish the repair work of entire fence probably by the end of this month”, he added.
Snow, avalanches and mud slides damage the fence along 740 kilometre LoC in the State every year during winter and the Army engineers start repair work ahead of summer to prevent infiltration from damaged parts of the fence.
The Army Commander said that LoC fence has alarm system and there is improvised obstacle system in position to counter any cross LoC movement.
The General said that there are large numbers of militants waiting across the LoC to infiltrate and they are trying to find the gaps. Sources said that militants have carried out recce at several places including Dulanja and Kamal Kote areas of Uri and parts of Nowgam sector in Handwara area where the snow has already melted.
The GOC said that Army has taken review of the situation along the LoC and its deployment. “We will be able to counter it”, he added.
The General said that militants work under a plan and the infiltration route is mainly dependent on the availability of guides. “Where ever the guides are available to them they select that sector for infiltration”, he added.
The Army Commander dismissed the reports that the militants who carried out Fidayeen attack in Bemina last month had infiltrated from Kamalkote area in February this year. It may be mentioned here that police said that two of the killed Fidayeen had come from Kamalkote in February this year while the captured one had come in February this year through the same route.
The GOC said that the fence was intact in Kamalkote area of Uri. “The militant who was captured must be misleading the police. I don’t think what he said is correct”, he added.
Army sources said that no infiltration has taken place this year so far. However, some of the militants who were in Lolab and other forest areas of North Kashmir have shifted to Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal, outskirts of Srinagar in Dara area and Tral area of South Kashmir.
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