Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 4: General Officer Commanding (GOC), Nagrota Corps, Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar today opposed withdrawal of troops from peaceful areas saying such a decision can’t be taken in haste as it was “long drawn and though provoking’’ process even as he maintained that there could be “around 200’’ militants waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.
Declaring that the Army wouldn’t allow Mughal Road to become another National Highway to be used by the militants for carrying out terror attacks, the Army Commander said the troops were well prepared to thwart any kind of movement of the militants from Kashmir to twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch using Mughal Road.
The Army General was speaking to reporters at Nowshera in Rajouri district on the occasion of 68th Jhangar Day, which is observed to recall the supreme sacrifices of Brigadier Mohammad Usmaan and his men, who had in 1947-48, not only re-captured Jhangar but also prevented capture of Nowshera.
“If you remove SHO of a police station, what would be the outcome’’? he questioned the reporter in response to a question whether the time was ripe for withdrawal of troops from Pir Panjal range in view of normalcy prevailing in the region for past quite some time now.
He said if an area becomes peaceful with the efforts of troops that didn’t mean that the troops can be withdrawn from there. Moreover, he said, the decision on withdrawal of troops is a “long drawn process’’ and is taken after high level reviews.
“There has been no infiltration of militants from the LoC in our area i.e. the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch this year so far,’’ Lt Gen Nimbhorkar said. However, in response to a question, he added that there were “around 200’’ militants, who were camping across the LoC (in Pakistan occupied Kashmir) waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the Indian territory.
However, the GOC 16 Corps said no one can be so sure about exact number of the militants camping across the LoC as “it (the number) keeps on fluctuating. Sometimes, it went up and could also come down. Nevertheless, it was “around 200’’, he added but declared that the troops were well prepared on the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts to thwart the intrusion bid.
“The troops are well prepared on the LoC. Their morale is very high. They are guarding the LoC very well. They haven’t allowed a single militant to sneak into this side during first half of this year so far. Even prior to that, the infiltration in this sector was virtually zero,’’ Lt Gen Nimbhorkar said.
On recent attacks in the Kashmir Valley, the Army Commander said though it was not his area but every summer attacks do take place.
To a question on movement of militants including fresh recruits from Kashmir to Poonch using Mughal Road, the GOC said though there was no such report with the Army including that of reported exfiltration attempt by some youth to PoK yet the troops would maintain strict surveillance on Mughal Road to ensure that it didn’t become another National Highway for use of the militant movement.
“We haven’t come across any report of militant movement along Mughal Road. At the same time, there were no reports with us about exfiltration attempts by fresh recruits to PoK from Poonch sector,’’ he said but added that the Army was on high alert and wouldn’t allow either infiltration attempts or exfiltration attempts to succeed on LoC.
In response to a question on reported smuggling of narcotics from Mendhar recently and Sabjian earlier, both falling in Poonch district, the Army Commander denied having come across any such information.
“I will do away with this question,’’ was the reply of Lt Gen Nimbhorkar to a question on preparation of Army after ISIS attack at Dhaka and its activities across the border.
To another question on “inputs’’ of attack through water bodies, para-troopers or aerial route in Rajouri and Poonch districts, the Army Commander said he has no such “solid input’’.
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