‘Pak casualties 5 to 6 times higher than India’
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 13: General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh today declared that Army was committed to ensure that militancy is not revived in Jammu region including Kishtwar district, where militants have struck thrice during past about five months killing four persons including two top BJP and RSS leaders.
“At no cost, we will allow revival of militantcy in any part of Jammu region including Kishtwar district,” Lt Gen Singh told a press conference on the sidelines of ‘Rajouri Day’ celebrations in the border district of Rajouri this morning.
Click here to watch video
“The militants have been trying to revive the militancy in the areas of Jammu region, where it had been finished. I want to assure the people that at no cost we will allow intentions of the militants to revive militantcy in Jammu region including Kishtwar district to succeed,” he said but added that the militancy-related incidents, which have taken place in Kishtwar were cause of concern.
Asserting that Intelligence agencies, police and Army have worked out a strategy to deal with the situation developing in Kishtwar, the GOC White Knight Corps under whose Command entire erstwhile Doda district falls, said some people have already been rounded up in connection with the killings and operations were going on in Kishtwar (to track down the militants).
“The Army has not left this area because the enemy can attempt again to revive terrorism but as long as we stand united, Pakistan cannot succeed in its nefarious design,” the GOC said. Worthwhile to mention here that the militants had gunned down BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar in Kishtwar town on November 1, 2018, snatched weapon of police constable Daleep Singh from the town on March 8 this year and killed RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO, Rajinder Kumar on April 9. All these cases haven’t been worked out so far.
Lt Gen Paramjit Singh said the leadership of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit was eliminated in Kashmir valley post India’s preemptive air strike on a JeM terror camp in Balakote on February 26 in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were martyred.
When his attention was drawn to the weapon theft incident, arrest of some militants with weapons and recovery of huge consignment of drugs in Poonch and Rajouri districts last year, he said the enemy always tries to vitiate peace in the State.
“Such attempts continue on the part of the enemy but we failed their nefarious design with the joint efforts and the support of the public,” he said.
Lt Gen Singh said those people who have seen Rajouri, Poonch and Surankote after 1990 know with everybody’s cooperation –civilian population, local administration, police and army — the terrorism was wiped out from the region.
In response to another question about the status of militancy in the State post Balakote airstrike, the GOC Nagrota Corps said “the leadership of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit was eliminated in the Kashmir valley.”
“The Army officer said ground reports did not suggest sudden increase in the terror activity by Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of the terrorists in any part of the Jammu region.
The GOC 16 Corps, which also has jurisdiction over twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, which shared Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, said as many as 513 ceasefire violations by Pakistan have taken place along the LoC during past one-and-a-half month and the Pakistan Army has suffered five to six times more casualties than the Indian Army in the retaliatory action.
“The Pakistan Army also used heavy weaponry like mortars and artillery guns in over 100 times during these violations and targeted civilian areas but was given a befitting response by the Indian Army,” he said.
Only yesterday (Friday), four civilians, including two girls, were injured in Poonch, the GOC said.
However, he said the Pakistan Army is being given a befitting response by the Indian troops at all places on the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Responding to a question about the casualties suffered by Pakistan in the retaliatory action, he said unlike the Indian Army, Pakistan does not announce the number of its casualties.
“However, as per our sources, the Pakistan Army suffered five to six times more casualties than the casualties on our side,” Lt Gen Singh said.
Ten people, including four security personnel, have been martyred and nearly 45 others, mostly civilians, injured in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch since India’s preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakote on February 26. There were reports that Pakistan Army has suffered heavy casualties and infrastructural losses in the Indian retaliation.
On the sniping incidents from across the border, Lt Gen Singh said such incidents had come to a naught over the past several months, especially after the Balakote strike.
“Some incidents of sniping took place earlier and accordingly we have taken some measures to strengthen our defence. As per the data this year, only three incidents of sniping by the Pakistan Army were reported from January to February 26 in which one of the fatalities include a civilian porter,” he said.
“There was no sniping incident from February 27 till date, which means the steps taken by us have been successful,” the Army Commander said.
He said the morale of the troops is very high and as long as they are deployed on the borders, the people of the country need not worry.
“They have every kind of weaponry and explosives with them and their resolve is rock solid and always prepared for any challenge. As long as they are on the border, you are safe,” he said.
Responding to a question, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh said, “Our message to Pakistan is given every day whenever some nefarious activity happens on the border.”
When asked for a comment on politics being played on the name of soldiers during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, he said the Army does not want to get into the debate.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
