Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 16: Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar today called for ensuring fool-proof security of all military establishments in Jammu and Kashmir especially those falling close to the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), which had, in past, become target of the militants after infiltration from Pakistan. He called for robust summer strategy with strengthening of Anti-Infiltration and Anti-Militancy Grids in the State to counter the terror threats.
On second day of his visit, Kumar today reviewed security situation with General Officer Commanding (GOC) Tiger Division Maj Gen Sanjeev Narain and top Army Commanders in Pathankot, where airbase had come under major fidayeen attack on January 2 this year by six militants, all of whom were eliminated by the troops but not before seven security personnel had been killed.
Sources told the Excelsior that Kumar during his meetings with top Army Commanders in the past two days at Udhampur, Jammu and Pathankot called upon the Army officials to upgrade Anti-Infiltration and Anti-Militancy Grids in the State to thwart infiltration attempts on the LoC and International Border with Pakistan and keep militancy situation under control in the hinterland.
The Defence Secretary is understood to have called for robust summer strategy in place by the troops along the LoC as it was during these months when most of the infiltration attempts take place from Pakistan as snow starts melting and the passes become clear giving the militants, waiting for intrusions, an access to cross the passes.
Appreciating the arrangements in place along the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch which he visited yesterday, the Defence Secretary also reviewed the fencing along LoC, its further improvement and plugging the routes wherever the fencing gets damaged due to rains to give no chance to the militants to infiltrate into the Indian territory.
According to sources, the Defence Secretary called for putting in place a mechanism of fool-proof security around all military establishments in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab including Pathankot and other border areas to prevent January 2 like terror attack at Pathankot and prior to that Dinanagar in Punjab, Samba, Hiranagar, Rajbagh, Kathua etc in Jammu by the militants, who had targeted these places after intruding into this side from Pakistan.
He was reported to have called for regular reviews of security of military establishments by the top Army officials to see to it that no gaps are left for the militants to enter there like they did in Pathankot, prolonging the encounter for three days and posing threat to strategic assets of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Sources said the Defence Secretary also reviewed situation on Jammu borders during his meeting with GOC Tiger Division Maj Gen Sanjeev Narain before proceeding to Pathankot.
Though situation was well under control along LoC and IB in Jammu region, Army and BSF were maintaining very high alert to ensure that the infiltration attempts in future also don’t succeed following reports about the presence of large number of trained militants across LoC and IB.
In Pathankot, the Defence Secretary was reported to have met top Commanders of Army and Air Force for high level review of military establishment and other places manned by them. He was understood to have called for strict surveillance of all military establishments falling along the International Border in Punjab.
There had been reports that the militants were also plotting to infiltrate from Punjab side of the IB to carry out terror attack as they hadn’t been able to breach Jammu borders for past quite some time now.
The Defence Secretary had yesterday held detailed review of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda in Udhampur including steps taken by Army to tackle infiltration by the militants strengthening Anti-Infiltration Grid and tackling militancy in the hinterland.
He will brief Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on security situation in Jammu and Kashmir after his return to New Delhi from Pathankot.
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