No cause for alarm on LoC: General

UDHAMPUR, JUNE 14: Although Pakistani forces have been resorting to small and medium arms firing at the forward Indian positions, there is n...

UDHAMPUR, JUNE 14: Although Pakistani forces have been resorting to small and medium arms firing at the forward Indian positions, there is no cause for alarm along the 1,200-km-long Indo-Pak border from Siachen to the Jammu sector, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command, Lt Gen S Padmanabhan, said here today.

The pace of firing by Pakistan troops had increased in the last one year, he said. However, “we too have been retaliating to such incidents of unprovoked firing,” he added. He also said there was “complete peace” on India’s border with China in the state. Though some issues remain to be settled, there is no tension on the border, he asserted.

Padmanabhan said the exchange of fire, including artillery fire, at Siachen had led to casualties on both sides but Pakistan had fared worse. Besides, lives were also lost due to avalanches on the world’s highest battlefield, he added.

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About the Pakistani shelling on Kargil town, the Army General said, “We retaliated as itwas beyond our tolerance”. “We are looking at the situation and will determine our retaliatory action to bring it to a resolute end,” he said. Such kind of incidents will not be allowed, he added.

On the International Border, Padmanabhan said, Pak Rangers had been firing on Indian border outposts (BOPs) and also striking civilians. But border meetings between the two sides had succeeded in containing these incidents to a considerable extent, especially during the harvesting season, he said. About the situation in Kashmir Valley, the Army General said there were fewer incidents of militancy in the Valley and that militants were on the run.

However, “we have to keep guard against militants concentrating on acts of terrorism by killing innocent people,” he said. Foreign mercenaries were mainly behind militancy in the Valley and the local people were “not supporting” them, Padmanabhan said, adding 60 per cent of the militants killed in any action by security forces and the police were mercenaries fromPakistan and Afghanistan. He said Pakistan was also pushing in militants with a regular army background to ensure things happening in Kashmir remained in its hands. The Army General denied having coming across a regular Pak armyman caught in the Valley, but said a number of them have been killed.

Withdrawal of troops

Army authorities are contemplating withdrawal of troops from major towns and cities in the Kashmir Valley for deployment in the militancy-infested rural and far-flung areas in the state.

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“We are examining it,” Lt Gen Padmanabhan said. In this connection, he said the state police has been strengthened and along with Central forces, it can effectively check militancy in various areas.

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