The Hindu : Front Page : Infiltration attempt through non-traditional routes

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

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Infiltration attempt through non-traditional routes

Sandeep Dikshit

Pakistan Army may not be aware of some of the action: Army Chief

NEW DELHI: : The Chief of the Army Staff, J.J. Singh, on Tuesday gave the Pakistan army the benefit of the doubt on the issue of infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.

This was in contrast to the Army's previous stand that its counterpart abetted in the movement of terrorists from Pakistan.

Infiltration this year showed a greater degree of desperation, having been attempted through `non-traditional' routes too, he said interacting with presspersons at the second anniversary of the Force magazine here.

The Army Chief ruled out a review of troop strength in Jammu and Kashmir, though the level of violence decreased by 30 per cent.

The reasons he cited were the onset of the "summer campaign" by terrorists following the melting of snow in the higher reaches separating India from Pakistan; the presence of 53 camps across the border housing 2,500 terrorists and another 1,500 terrorists, holed up in the State, though 500 were eliminated by the security forces since January this year.

Asked whether the Pakistan army was still helping the terrorists cross over into the Indian territory, Gen. Singh indicated that it might not be aware of some of the attempts. For, terrorists mostly "cross at night".

In the past, the Pakistan army regularly provided fire cover, but of late that practice stopped, and "it would not be fair'' to blame it.

Denying any sharing of information between the two armies about the movements of terrorists, he said: "If they come to know (of their movements), they won't let them come."

Speaking about the recent, weeklong action by three battalions in the frozen forests of Gurez, Gen. Singh said it was not a regular infiltration route. Nor was the Gulmarg area, where the Army recently gunned down infiltrators. This showed that the terrorists were trying to enter through all possible places because of the intense vigil on the traditional infiltration routes and the fencing along the Line of Control.

About the collapse of the fencing at Gurez that resulted in the infiltration by a dozen terrorists, who were subsequently killed, he said that in such a difficult terrain the fencing was not as efficacious as it was in the lower reaches.

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