Inputs of possible terror attack in south India, says Southern Army Commander

Lt Gen Saini was speaking on the sidelines of a foundation stone-laying ceremony on the Army Law College campus at Kanhe near Pune.

Asked about security deployment by Pakistan in Sir Creek region between the two countries during an interaction with media, Lt Gen Saini said, “We have got many inputs that there may be a terrorist attack in southern part of India and peninsular India. As far as Sir Creek region is concerned, some abandoned boats have also have been recovered in the area. We have undertaken measures for capacity building and capability development in the area of Sir Creek, keeping in mind the enhanced threat perception. We are taking precautions to ensure that the designs of inimical elements or terrorists are stalled and they do not get the success they are wishing for.”

Asked about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the government’s move on Article 370, he said, “Any conflict which is in the sub-conventional domain, has got both internal and external dimensions. In the case of J&K, the external dimension is much more pronounced than the internal dimension. We have a very clear-cut policy based on which have been resolving insurgencies. The government takes a comprehensive view of every conflict and undertakes political, economic, social and diplomatic measures to resolve it. Army’s role is to create conducive conditions for such initiatives by the government. At the moment, Army is fully geared for any contingency which arises as far as J&K is concerned.”

Lt Gen Saini was speaking on the sidelines of a foundation stone laying ceremony in the campus the Army Law College at Kanhe near Pune.

On a question about remarks by certain leaders in Pakistan, including on the use of nuclear weapons, Lt Gen Saini said, “Such threats do not change the way we function and we are ready for any situation.”

There is a long pending dispute between India and Pakistan about the demarcation of boundaries in the Sir Creek region. While Pakistan has claimed a major chunk of the region, India’s stand has been that international rules should be applied to resolve the issue.

The comments by the Southern Army Commander come weeks after Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh had said in Pune that there were intelligence inputs about an ‘underwater wing’ of the Jaish-e-Mohammad conducting training to carry out attacks on India.”