Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 17: General Officer Commanding (GOC) Nagrota based 16 Corps Lt Gen KH Singh said today there had been inputs that the militants were planning infiltration and carry out strikes on Army and police installations in Jammu but declared that all such plans by the militants will be foiled very effectively.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of conclusion of Rajouri Day celebrations in the border district of Rajouri this morning, Lt Gen Singh said the Army had reports that the militants were plotting intrusion bids to carry out strikes in Army uniforms on sensitive installations in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts just like they had done on March 20 and 21 this year.
“Yes, we have inputs. The militants were planning the infiltration attempts to carry out terror attacks. But let me assure you, we are fully alert and will not allow the terrorists to succeed in their nefarious designs,” the GOC 16 Corps said.
He was responding to the question that inputs suggested that the militants were planning to repeat last month’s Samba and Kathua like terror attacks. Army, CRPF and police had eliminated all four militants, who had struck at Rajbagh police station in Kathua district and Mahesar Army camp in Samba district on March 20 and 21 respectively. The militants had killed three security personnel and two civilians before being eliminated.
The Army Commander maintained that as far as the 16 Corps area falling on South of Pir Panjal (the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch) was concerned, there had been no successful infiltration attempts. However, he said, there had been one or two infiltration attempts in Samba and Kathua districts.
“In South of Pir Panjal area, all infiltration attempts by the militants have been thwarted. In Samba and Kathua districts also, security forces were on high alert and wouldn’t allow the militants to succeed in their designs,” Lt Gen Singh said in response to another question.
Declinig to comment on withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, the GOC Nagrota Corps was of the view that during past four to five years, violence has come down in many areas but the militancy hasn’t ended.
“Decline in the violence doesn’t mean that militancy has ended. The militancy minded people are still there,” he asserted.
Replying to a question on anti-India activities of separatist Masrat Alam and whether they posed threat to the Army, Lt Gen Singh said that be it the activities of Masrat Alam or any other separatist, they are in no way any kind of threat to the Army but admitted that such activities do create law and order problem in the State.
In response to another question on Tral encounter in which a militant was killed but separatists and local people held protests claiming that he was a civilian, Lt Gen Singh said though the area didn’t fall under his jurisdiction, he can say with 100 per cent confidence that it was good operation by the Army.
“Army has seized weapons from the militant. In fact, the seized weapon had been snatched from police earlier. The person in question was definitely a militant,” he added.
Earlier, Lt Gen KH Singh participated in Rajouri Day celebrations organized by 25 Infantry Division based at Rajouri.
He reviewed security situation in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with Army Commanders Incharge of the two border districts. He was briefed about the situation prevailing along the Line of Control (LoC) including ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army and infiltration attempts by the militants in the past apart from number of militants camping across the LoC awaiting for an opportunity to sneak into this side.
He was also briefed on operational preparedness of the Army to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants during the summer.
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