Article Posted on : - Oct 10, 2014

A file photo.

SRINAGAR (PTI): Amid increasing ceasefire violations from across the Line of Control (LoC) on the Jammu side, a senior Army officer on Thursday said the situation was "stable" on this side but the Army's response will be "firm and focused" whenever there are any such attempts.

"On the Kashmir side, we had two ceasefire violations.

One on September 30 and October 1 night and the second time was on the October 3 and 4. After that the situation has been stable," General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha told PTI.

He said though the areas on the LoC in Kashmir Valley have not witnessed ceasefire violations in the same manner as in Jammu region, the army would respond in a very firm and focused manner if such things take place here.

"I can comment about what is happening in the Kashmir region and not in Jammu. And in the Kashmir region, we haven't had any such instances (of firing on civilian areas) and wherever occasions have come, I maintain that the response has to be very firm, it has to be focused.

"I maintain that whatever happens on the LoC, as in such ceasefire violations, they are tactical actions and are best dealt with tactically," he said.

The Army commander said ceasefire violations have "localised dynamics" and it was important to see through both the causes of the violations and the effects of the response.

"Ceasefire violations have localised dynamics and the response has to be very firm, focused and, I should think, it has to be effect-based. Equally it is important that we see through the causes and the effects both," he said.

Asked whether BSF was effectively dealing with the ceasefire violations in certain sensitive areas along the LoC and International Border (IB), Lt Gen Saha said "as far as the Kashmir region is concerned, on the LoC, the BSF battalions operate as part of the army. So the arrangement in Kashmir is pretty fine".

He said there is an attempt from across the LoC to carry out infiltration and about 200 militants were waiting to infiltrate into the Valley.

"If you have seen, right through the month of September, while the Kashmir region was suffering because of the absolutely unprecedented floods, we had several attempts of infiltration and each one of that attempt has been foiled.

"And during this duration from September 1 till now, 18 terrorists have been killed, of which majority have been killed on the LoC while they were trying to infiltrate. So, clearly there is an attempt to carry out the infiltration and clearly there are numbers that are there across. And our assessment is that it is anything between 180 to 200 that are waiting to infiltrate," he said.

Lt Gen Saha said most of the infiltration attempts have been along the LoC in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

"Most of the attempts that have been foiled, they have been in Tangdhar sector, Keran sector, and Machil sector (all in Kupwara) and 12 terrorists have been killed in these sectors since September 1," he said.

He said the fence along the LoC was damaged at some places due to the floods, but it has been repaired and was up to check the infiltration.

"The fence is up. All that elements that constitute what we call the robust counter infiltration grid, all those elements are in place and the results of which you are seeing," he said, referring to the killing of 12 militants on the LoC.

Meanwhile, in Jalandhar, Army spokesperson Naresh Vig told to PTI that forces are fully prepared to deal with any situation.

"The situation is under control in Punjab but we are fully prepared to respond to any uncalled for activity from Pakistan side. Our soldiers posted in border villages of the state are keeping an eye round the clock and will give a befitting reply to any audacious attempt from the other side," the spokesperson said.

Echoing his view, BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) said, "There is no activity on border areas of Punjab. However, the forces have been cautioned to respond to any activity from the other side."