 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Expressing apprehensions about rise in infiltration of militants from across the LoC, security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir today said effective and concrete measures have been taken to prevent sneaking of militants into the Valley.
"Infiltration from across the LoC is a constant problem, but we have taken effective and concrete measures to prevent it", security officials said without divulging the steps taken to prevent infiltration.
They said attempts are being made to push in militants from across the LoC to step up violence in Kashmir as the valley witnessed lowest incidents of violence last year.
The issue of infiltration was also topped the agenda of Core Group Meeting (CGM) held at army headquarters here last evening, they said.
The meeting was co-chaired by General Officer Commanding of 15 Corps Lt Gen N C Marwah and Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda. The core group comprises of senior army, police, CRPF, BSF, Intelligence and civil officials.
"During the meeting, the infiltration issue was discussed threadbare. Army officials told the participants that they have got credible intelligence inputs about possibilities of rise in infiltration of militants from across the LOC this year", the officials said.
They said officials of other security and intelligence agencies also shared the same views and stressed the need for making water tight measures to prevent infiltration.
However, the officials neither confirmed nor denied media reports suggesting that 20-25 group of militants slipped into the Valley recently on "special mission".
"These reports are being examined", they said.
About other topics deliberated upon at the meeting, they said the deliberation during the meeting were also focused on the proposed strategy to be adopted to further harmonise and synergies conduct of joint operations against militants between different security agencies to address "critical areas of concern".
"The meeting discussed steps to enhance cooperation among various organisations", they said.
This was the first meeting of the CGM after the recent gunfights in the state that led to a large scale destruction of public property apart from rendering severe loss to the Army.
In two gunfights in Chinkipora-Sopore in north and Mir Mohalla-Dadasir in South Kashmir, the Army lost two captains and three personnel while two dozens residential houses were destroyed.
They said the reasons behind collateral damage caused during gunfights also came up for discussion during the meet.
"The security agencies appreciated the steps taken by police to curb the increase in stone pelting incidents in the Valley," they said.
Over 1,000 youths have been arrested in the Valley and several of them booked under Public Safety Act to curb stone pelting incidents.