RAJOURI, Feb 15: Pakistan has deployed additional heavy calibre weapons and fires around 8,000 to 14,000 rounds daily on the Line of Control (LOC) in Rajouri and Poonch sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, according to Major General V S Yadav, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 25 Infantry Division.``The situation on LOC in both these sectors was not desirable in view of the increased use of heavy calibre weapon fire by Pakistan,'' Yadav said here yesterday. Pointing out that at some places, the unprovoked Pakistani fire was going on every day, he said that ``this kind of activity, however, cannot lead to a conventional war.''Pointing out that the intensity of unprovoked firing by Pakistan on the forward Indian position had increased three to four times since November 1997, he said they (Pakistan) have deployed the heavy calbire weapons, including the 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, besides 12.7 mm and 14.5 mm machine guns among others weapons on their side of the border.As against 60,000 to 70,000 roundsbeing fired by Pakistani troops from across the LOC in both these sectors every month during 1996, the intensity of their firing has risen to about two lakh rounds. He added that Pakistani troops, on an average, were firing 5,000 to 14,000 rounds all along the 210 km long LoC every day.The use of heavy calibre weapons by Pakistan had increased since November 1997, General Yadav said and added that it was also resorting to the use of 82 mm mortars. However, there has been no artillery fire on sectors like the Kashmir Valley and Kargil, he added.Attributing the unprovoked Pakistani firing to attempts in the neighbouring country to keep the Kashmir issue alive at the international level, he said there was no such problem on the LoC except trans-border movement till 1990. The people living on one side had been going to the other for marriages as many families were divided on both sides of the border due to shifting of the LOC in 1948, 1965, 1971 wars, he added.However, when the proxy war started, thearmy was asked to ensure that there would be no trans-LoC movement. Pakistani troops started resorting to unprovoked fire to provide a cover to militants to infiltrate into the State through these sectors, he said.Yadav added that the Indian Army was effectively retaliating to Pakistani firing. About 100 Pakistani soldiers were killed and nearly 50 others injured in retaliatory fire by Indian troops during 1998, he said and added that this figure was three to four times more than the previous year.On the militancy in Rajouri and Poonch districts, he said the militants kept these areas peaceful for their safe passage to the Kashmir Valley and Doda till mid-1996. However, finding that its plan of safe passage was not working well, Pakistan started sending resident militant groups to show their presence in these sectors, he said.The troops killed 110 militants along the LoC in 1997. However, casualties among the militants doubled during the subsequent year as troops added some more obstacles on theirinfiltration routes along the border. Besides, about 150 militants were killed in depth areas by the troops last year, he added.Pointing out that there had been infiltration and exfiltration attempts by militants along the LoC, he said that these were being foiled successfully by the troops. There were eight to ten militant training camps in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir, situated about 10 km away from the LoC.To check these infiltration and exfiltration bids, the army has laid obstacle systems and sensors at various places. As a result, people across the border have started showing their reluctance to join militant ranks and infiltrate the State, he added.Yadav said there were only three major militant outfits in Rajouri and Poonch: the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Ansar and their total strength was not more than 200.
