No major infiltration attempts this year in Kashmir
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 3: General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Army’s Srinagar based Chinar Corps Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai today recommended no dilution of counter insurgency and counter terrorism grid at this juncture saying that more good years are needed to make peace permanent in Kashmir.
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Addressing a press conference here today, the Chinar Corps Commander said that he does not advocate disturbing the security grids at this stage.
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“We are in a consolidation phase and no dilution of counter insurgency and counter terrorism grid is recommended. Both the grids need to be maintained. I definitely won’t advocate any dilution to these grids at this stage,” Lt Gen Ghai said.
The GOC said that the security situation in Kashmir has shown a significant improvement over the past few years. “The biggest challenge for the security agencies is to keep the situation intact as it is today,” he added.
Lt Gen Ghai said that the situation is considerably good in the region. “Terrorism is being fuelled from across the border and that’s very much clear,” he said.
The Army Commander said that militancy in Kashmir was in the last stage as only 80 militants were active at present in the region.
“We have succeeded in bringing the numbers down, and I believe it will continue to decrease. The situation in Kashmir is peaceful, and we are vigilant in guarding the borders,” he added.
The Army officer said that Kashmir has seen a good year so far like last year and the biggest challenge is to maintain it. “We need a few more good years to make peace a permanent feature here. I believe maintaining this peaceful atmosphere is the biggest challenge for the security forces,” he said.
Lt Gen Ghai said that there hasn’t been any active recruitment of militants this year. “The numbers were down to a dozen last year and this year it is next to nil,” he said.
He said as far as the terrorist-initiated incidents in Kashmir, they are between far and few. “Some incidents were reported where soft targets were made by even an untrained person using a pistol,” he added.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the GOC said that during the past a year-and-a-half, numerous attempts counter infiltration steps were taken while simultaneously prosecuting a very robust and successful counter terrorist campaign within Kashmir.
“Infiltration attempts have been kept at bay. This summer, there were no major attempts from the launch pads. We are confident that the numbers will continue to drop,” he said.
“While doing this, we have been very conscious of our responsibility and nation building. So, we have maintained our connection with the Awam (people of Kashmir,” he said.
The Army officer said that the region is seeing a new beginning as numerous significant events are taking place besides development. “This is because of the efforts put in by (Chinar Corps) 15 Corps, police, CAPF and numerous other security agencies,” the GOC said
The GOC said that they are using modern technology in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir which has enhanced the efficiency. “We have embraced the latest technology, which has enhanced our efficiency in tackling insurgents,” he said.
Reiterating the importance of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, which was implemented in February 2021, he said: “The ceasefire remains intact, contributing to reduced tensions along the LoC.”
On the issue of narco-terrorism, the GOC expressed concern about drug use among the youth, acknowledging that it poses a significant challenge. “We have a strategy to combat this grave issue, and while the Indian Army cannot address it alone, we are committed to tackling it alongside other initiatives,” he said.
Lt Gen Ghai is heading for a new posting and he will be succeeded by Lt General Prashant Shrivastava on October 15 as GOC 15 Corps.
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