Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 22: General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar said today that the troops in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, falling under the Command of his Corps, haven’t allowed any infiltration attempt from Pakistan to succeed and they were determined not to allow such attempt to succeed in future also.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Degree College, Poonch, Lt Gen Nimbhorkar said the militants have made lot of attempts to enter into the Indian territory from the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts during past few months but our brave and ever alert troops haven’t allowed the militants to succeed.
“They are making attempts and they will continue to do so (make attempts) but we will not allow them to succeed,” he said.
Replying to a question on whether recent ceasefire violation by Pakistan army by resorting to mortar shelling in Shahpur sector of Poonch on the intervening night of August 13 and 14 was aimed at infiltration of militants, the GOC remarked that it was a ceasefire violation and “our troops retaliated effectively”.
“We can’t say at this stage whether it was infiltration attempt. Even if it was, it was thwarted,” Lt Gen Nimbhorkar said.
He said he can’t say what were reasons for Pakistan army to violate ceasefire after such a longtime?
“The ceasefire was violated and we replied effectively,” he said.
Lt Gen Nimbhorkar pointed out that during the past three years, there had been no successful infiltration attempt by the militants from the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch though several attempts have been made from across the LoC to push the militants into this side.
He said the militants were sitting on the launching pads close to the LoC across Rajouri and Poonch but “we will not allow them to succeed in infiltration to this side”.
“The militants keep on camping at the launching pads awaiting an opportunity to sneak into this side. But our troops have been maintaining strict vigil. We are determined not to allow them to succeed,” the GOC 16 Corps said.
Asserting that there were 17 launching pads of militants across LoC opposite twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, Lt Gen Nimbhorkar said: “we always keep strict vigil on the launching pads as well as the militants camping there. The militants keep on shifting at the launching pads”
He added that number of the launching pads and the militants also keep on changing after few days but the troops monitor them effectively to ensure that there was no successful infiltration attempt by the militants.
Lauding the troops for doing commendable job along the LoC in both Rajouri and Poonch districts, Lt Gen Nimbhorkar hoped that they will maintain the trend of zero infiltration on the LoC this year also.
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