NEW DELHI: The army has identified about 200 fake Twitter handles that have been impersonating senior army officers, including Army Chief General Bipin Rawat , and spreading propaganda on Jammu and Kashmir The army with the help of the defence ministry and home ministry has reported the matter to Twitter, officials added. Twitter has shut down about 6o to 70 percent of these handles.Officials believe these handles to have the support of the Pakistan establishment and see this as a ‘twitter war’ started from across the border. They added that these handles came up after the Centre abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to J&K on August 5. There has been a 70 to 80 percent increase in such Twitter handles since over the past month, as compared to what it was in the months preceding August 5.Officials explained that a the fake handle that was impersonating Rawat had posted this on J&K, “Kashmir is beautiful and people of J&K have great idea towards life and humanity...”Another similar handle under the Army Chief’s name was created. A handle under the name of the army’s previous Vice Chief, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, was also created. A handle which used the name of a Colonel rank officer speaks about ceasefire violations along the border and death of several Indian soldiers. Another handle has used the name of Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Purohit, who is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.The handles have their profile pictures of these officers in uniforms. While explaining that they have originated from India’s western neighbour, officials said that the army has a strict cyber security policy which instructs that a person cannot reveal his personal identity such as rank and appointment and post photographs in uniform on social networking sites.“These handles have been spewing venom on India, instigating violence and anti-national sentiments and spreading propaganda,” explained an official.Officials added that there is presently a much more renewed focus as compared to the past to counter such handles. But, sometimes reporting authorities do face certain issues when there is a request to Twitter to shut down these handles. These issues include checks conducted by the social-media site from their own end.Meanwhile, it is not only on social media, but also on other fronts that army is facing the spread of propaganda by Pakistan. Officials explained that several loudspeakers attached to Pakistan Army posts along the Line of Control with India, play songs that have coded messages. “The messages are deciphered by leaders of terrorist groups, who have the coded message sheet. Instructions and propaganda are thereafter spread to the terrorist ranks,” an official said.The use of this technique, although old, is being increasingly used due to a communication clampdown in J&K since August 5, which has prevented terrorists and their handlers from communicating with each other. Pakistan, on the other hand, is planning to reduce the signal strength of its mobile network on its side of the LoC to prevent interception by Indian agencies, according to officials.