Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 27: Army has inducted high resolution thermal imagers including Loras and HHTI all along the Line of Control (LoC) and set up Special Control Rooms (SCRs) to monitor images provided by the thermal cameras as a latest and new measure to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants during the night especially in the winter months.
“In view of increase in infiltration attempts expected ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Army has covered entire LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with latest technology Loras and HHTI thermal imagers to maintain strict surveillance on movement of the infiltrators along the LoC,” official sources told the Excelsior.
They said all sensitive areas along the LoC, which could be used by the militants for infiltration into the Indian territory, apart from the traditional infiltration routes have been covered by high resolution thermal imageries.
Army has set up Special Control Rooms near the LoC, where pictures provided by the thermal imagers are monitored 24×7 to ensure that every kind of movement along the LoC was captured and the militants were not able to sneak-in.
“Though the sophisticated thermal imagers are being monitored round-the-clock, yet the major concentration remained during the nights. The Army officers and staff were keeping a hawk’s eye on the images given by the thermal cameras at the Special Control Rooms,” sources said, adding the thermal imagers have been proving very useful.
In addition to strict surveillance being maintained by the Army personnel, the thermal imagers and other sophisticated devices installed at the LoC have proved very useful in curbing the infiltration attempts on the LoC in the entire Jammu and Kashmir.
In Jammu region, there has been virtually no successful infiltration attempt on the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch this year. The thermal imagers have also contributed a lot as they immediately give the pictures of any kind of movement on the LoC, which is passed on to concerned posts of Army by the Special Control Rooms, to take on the infiltrators and thwart their attempts to intrude into this side.
Sources confirmed that entire LoC has now been covered with high resolution thermal imagers like Loras and HHTI apart from other gadgets.
There had been reports that more than 200 militants were planning to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to disturb them. Army has been maintaining high alert on LoC and the Border Security Force (BSF) at the International Border (IB) to ensure that the militants didn’t manage to intrude into this side.
Sources said though the installation of Loras and HHTI thermal imagers had started sometime back, it has been completed now all along the LoC well ahead of the next year’s elections as well as winter, when chances of infiltration are maximum.
“During the winter months, the militants try to take advantage of fog to infiltrate. However, the thermal imagers and other Night Vision Devices capture their movement helping Army to aim the direction the militants were taking to intrude, thus, thwarting the intrusion plot,” they added.
Sources expressed confidence that they would be able to keep the infiltration level to zero with strict manual surveillance as well as with the help of sophisticated devices.
They added that not only the infiltration attempts, the thermal imagers would also help in checking January 8 and August 4 like raids by Pakistan Army at Mankote and Sarla battalion area respectively in Poonch sector in which seven Army soldiers were killed.
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