KC NEWS DESK
Srinagar: Stating that drugs were being pushed into Kashmir from across the border, a Ministry of Defence officer Monday said that infiltration had reduced and troops were alert round the clock to foil the bids along the Line of Control.
This was stated by the Public Relation Officer (PRO), Ministry of Defence, Lt Col M K Sahu in an interaction with a group of select senior journalists covering defence and internal security in Kashmir. “I visited some areas around the Line of Control (LoC) and the feedback received is that infiltration has reduced,” Lt Col Sahu said.
He said that attempts to push terrorists from across the border continue, however alert troops were there to foil any attempt.
“This year so far some attempts have been foiled while working in synergy with other security forces. Any attempt will be foiled without fail,” he said.
On July 25, the Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha that no terrorist could infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir till June 30 this year while 14 terrorists entered J&K in 2022.
Rai said that the approach adopted by the Centre to tackle cross-border infiltration had ensured a perceptible decline in infiltration.
“There has been zero ‘net infiltration’ into J&K till June 30, 2023, 14 in 2022, 34 in 2021, 51 in 2020, and 141 in 2019,” he said replying to a written question.
The Minister said that the Centre had adopted a well-coordinated and multi-pronged strategy to tackle cross-border infiltration, which includes tactical deployment of forces at the International Border (IB) and the LoC, use of technology such as surveillance cameras, night vision cameras, heat sensing gadgets, multi-tiered deployment along IB and LoC, and border fencing.
“Deployment of intelligence personnel to collect advance and target-oriented inputs on infiltration, ambushes and foot-patrolling by the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF), establishment of Border Police Posts for generating local intelligence and taking proactive action against infiltrators are among others measures taken,” he had said.
The PRO Defence said that drugs were being pushed from across the border to fuel terrorism.
“Besides this, intense surveillance check posts have been established in the border areas to keep a close watch,” he said. “The alert troops won’t allow nefarious designs which will have a bearing on the prevailing peace.”
Recently, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on the drug pandemic sweeping Kashmir said, “The drug menace that the society currently faces is a bigger threat than terrorism. Terrorism brings death, destruction and agony to civil society in many ways. However, a much bigger pain awaits us if we do not pay attention and go all out to face the drug challenge today.”
Lt Col Sahu said that the Army was also facilitating border tourism.
“The Army is encouraging border tourism and encouraging locals to get actively involved in it,” he said. “The Army wants hassle free border tourism.”
