Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 4: Top Army Commanders held a high level review of security situation along Line of Control (LoC) in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch following escalated tensions between Indo-Pak troops, recent BAT actions and ceasefire violations. They had detailed review of operational preparedness of the Army along the LoC with Pakistan.
Sources told the Excelsior that Northern Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps Lt Gen AK Sharma reviewed counter-infiltration measures taken by the troops deployed in forward locations along LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts with GOC 25 Division, GOC Romeo Force and other top Army Commanders in Rajouri district.
The Army Commander also visited several forward areas on LoC in Sunderbani, Nowshera and Keri sectors etc for on spot review of preparedness of the troops to counter ceasefire violations and give befitting reply to the Pakistani troops, who have been indulging in frequent mortar shelling and firing on the civilians besides aiding and abetting infiltration attempts and BAT (Border Action Team) attacks.
Sources said the Field Commanders in forward locations have clearly been told to take pro-active measures depending on the situation to counter BAT attacks and infiltration attempts by the militants, which could increase in the next couple of months going by the number of militants present at launching pads on Pakistan side of the LoC.
Few days back, two Army jawans were martyred in a BAT attack facilitated by the Pakistani troops in Poonch sector but timely and very effective retaliation by the troops had led to elimination of two BAT members, who comprised Special Forces of Army and highly trained militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits. Prior to that, two Indian soldiers were martyred on May 1 in almost similar BAT attack in Poonch sector.
After the BAT attacks, Indian troops had gone on offensive and destroyed several forward posts and bunkers of the Army across Nowshera and Krishna Ghati sectors in Rajouri and Poonch districts respectively. Several Pakistani troops have been killed or injured in retaliatory firing by the Indian Army.
Sources said the top Army Commanders were satisfied with kind of retaliation by the Indian Army all along LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts to Pakistan’s ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts. They observed that troops haven’t allowed even a single infiltration attempt by the militants to succeed in Rajouri and Poonch though a number of such bids were made by the militants with the help of Pakistan army.
Sources said the top Army Commanders want the troops along the LoC to always be in offensive mode to counter any kind of attack from Pakistan side including BAT, infiltration attempt and ceasefire violations. They stressed the need to ensure that such type of attacks from Pakistan shouldn’t succeed.
“The troops were ready to give befitting response to Pakistan to any kind of misadventure on the LoC,” they said, adding that frustrated by Indian Army’s aggressive postures, Pakistan was now targeting innocent civilian population by firing mortars and using heavy fire arms to target civilian localities in Nowshera, Balakote, Mendhar and other sectors in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
However, very effective retaliation of mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistani troops has ensured that guns of Pakistan were silenced timely to save civilian population. Time to time, Army has also been guiding and advising the civilian population to refrain from coming out of their houses to save themselves from shelling and firing.
“In view of timely cautions by the troops, the civilian casualties have been very less going by nature of intense shelling by Pakistan,” sources pointed out.
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