NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Nov 11
About160 trained Pakistani terrorists are reportedly waiting at various points across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Jammu Kashmir, a senior Army officer said on Sunday.
The new GOC of Nagrota-based XVI Corps (White Knight Corps), Lt. Gen. Paramjit Singh said adding that cross-border terrorism will end only if Pakistan changes its policy and acts honestly.
The officer, involved in the planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, told in an interview to a national news agency that the Army was not letting up on “our preparedness and the counter-infiltration grid is strong enough to deal with infiltrators”.
Gen. Singh, who has served in all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir told that 140 to 160 terrorists at different locations in Pakistan were ready to be pushed into J&K state.
He said that the terror infrastructure was intact and Pakistan's intentions had not changed. The Pakistan Army and the ISI's complicity in planning infiltration and terror attacks was evident and it continued.
To a question on the situation along the LoC, he said ceasefire violations have abated after the DGMO-level talks.
“For troops on the LoC, there is no ceasefire… though periodic unprovoked firing by the Pakistan Army and attempts to cause harm to forward posts continue. We do not initiate fire, but we give it back in adequate measure. There is no let up on preparedness and our counter-infiltration grid is strong to deal with infiltrators,” he said.
Talking about challenges during winter, Lt Gen Singh, who is part of the elite Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), said the Army anticipates that Pakistani troops will make an attempt to push infiltrators through heavy snow-bound areas and non-traditional routes.
“We have all contingency plans ready. We have coordinated with all security agencies, and plans are being implemented smoothly,” said Lt Gen Singh, who commanded a special forces' battalion that participated in the surgical strikes after the attack on an Army brigade in Uri in 2016.
Referring to the recent incident of firing of 107-mm rocket on the Poonch brigade, he said, “Despite Director General of Military Operations-level talks in May during which the two countries agreed to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement, Pakistani troops targeted these locations.”
Gen Singh warned Pakistan to exercise caution before indulging in any misadventure on LoC or Border.
Replying to another question about causalities suffered by Pakistani troops in retaliatory fire by the Indian Army, the officer said, “Pakistan has never been open about its causalities unless the soldier is from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir”.
As Major General General Staff at the Northern Command headquarters, Lt. Gen. Singh played a pivotal role in strategising military response to agitations that erupted in 2016 after the killing of Hizbul terrorists Burhan Wani.
