Pakistan stepping up terror export: Military brass
NEW DELHI: India's top military leadership on Friday bluntly accused Pakistan of drastically stepping-up ceasefire violations in a bid to push in as many militants as possible into J&K before winter sets in, but dismissed suggestions that a Kargil-like situation had developed in the Keran sector along the line of control (LoC).
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, who is also chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, said Pakistan was making "frenetic attempts" to ensure the maximum number of terrorists infiltrate across the LoC before the mountain passes get snowed under.
"There is increased intensity in the border violations this year, which is there for the whole world to see ... There have been far more violations this year compared to the last two-three years," he said, adding Pakistan must "maintain the sanctity" of the decade-old ceasefire agreement.
Army chief General Bikram Singh, speaking separately, also stressed the infiltration attempts from across the border had "definitely" jumped up this year as compared to earlier years. But both the chiefs took pains to emphasize that the ongoing "Operation Shala Bhata" in the Keran sector, launched after a group of 30-40 terrorists and Pakistani "special troops" intruded across the LoC on September 24, was "a localised, tactical" operation.
Holding that no posts, bunkers or village had been "occupied" by the infiltrators, Gen Singh said, "They have been stopped, prevented. Some of them have been neutralised. Operations are on to flush them. It takes time since we want to avoid our own casualties."
The massive Kargil intrusion in 1999 had witnessed systematic and surreptitious "occupation" of forward Indian posts along the LoC by Pakistani Army "regulars", who were later evicted from their well-entrenched positions after a bloody conflict.
However, the 778km LoC has turned red-hot this time too. Senior officers say the Pakistani Army's is "actively back" to its old strategy of providing "covering fire" to infiltrating militants, which has "peaked" especially after Nawaz Sharif became the PM in June.
This can be gauged from the fact that as many as 150 ceasefire violations have already been recorded this year, compared to 57 in 2010, 61 (2011) and 117 (2012). "There have been over 90 ceasefire breaches in August and September. Compared to 2011 and 2012, the maximum number of militants — around 220 — have also tried to infiltrate into J&K this year," said an officer.
Incidentally, there was a fresh infiltration bid on Friday in the Keran sector, just about 6km south-west from the ongoing operation in Shala Bhata area. "Three militants were killed in the operation," said an officer.
In Shala Bhata, the Army says it is now conducting mopping up operations after earlier claiming to have killed 15 of the original group of 30-40 intruders till now. "In the area they have come in, we are dominating from all sides ... the terrorists are holed up. They are stuck in the very treacherous and difficult terrain, and we will take them on," said Gen Singh.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, who is also chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, said Pakistan was making "frenetic attempts" to ensure the maximum number of terrorists infiltrate across the LoC before the mountain passes get snowed under.
"There is increased intensity in the border violations this year, which is there for the whole world to see ... There have been far more violations this year compared to the last two-three years," he said, adding Pakistan must "maintain the sanctity" of the decade-old ceasefire agreement.
Army chief General Bikram Singh, speaking separately, also stressed the infiltration attempts from across the border had "definitely" jumped up this year as compared to earlier years. But both the chiefs took pains to emphasize that the ongoing "Operation Shala Bhata" in the Keran sector, launched after a group of 30-40 terrorists and Pakistani "special troops" intruded across the LoC on September 24, was "a localised, tactical" operation.
Holding that no posts, bunkers or village had been "occupied" by the infiltrators, Gen Singh said, "They have been stopped, prevented. Some of them have been neutralised. Operations are on to flush them. It takes time since we want to avoid our own casualties."
The massive Kargil intrusion in 1999 had witnessed systematic and surreptitious "occupation" of forward Indian posts along the LoC by Pakistani Army "regulars", who were later evicted from their well-entrenched positions after a bloody conflict.
However, the 778km LoC has turned red-hot this time too. Senior officers say the Pakistani Army's is "actively back" to its old strategy of providing "covering fire" to infiltrating militants, which has "peaked" especially after Nawaz Sharif became the PM in June.
This can be gauged from the fact that as many as 150 ceasefire violations have already been recorded this year, compared to 57 in 2010, 61 (2011) and 117 (2012). "There have been over 90 ceasefire breaches in August and September. Compared to 2011 and 2012, the maximum number of militants — around 220 — have also tried to infiltrate into J&K this year," said an officer.
Incidentally, there was a fresh infiltration bid on Friday in the Keran sector, just about 6km south-west from the ongoing operation in Shala Bhata area. "Three militants were killed in the operation," said an officer.
In Shala Bhata, the Army says it is now conducting mopping up operations after earlier claiming to have killed 15 of the original group of 30-40 intruders till now. "In the area they have come in, we are dominating from all sides ... the terrorists are holed up. They are stuck in the very treacherous and difficult terrain, and we will take them on," said Gen Singh.
Source http://timesofindia.com/india/Pakistan-stepping-up-terror-export-Military-brass/articleshow/23550039.cms
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