The Army has decided to bring in better technology from other countries to reduce infiltration through the various mountainous passes in the Kashmir Valley and in Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region. The decision followed the Pakistan army’s success in infiltrating around a hundred militants using these routes, despite surveillance.

General Officer, Srinagar based 15 Corps, Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu told the media that they were in the process of getting some modern and smarter equipment to counter infiltration all along the LOC in J&K.

These efforts were started in November, but many Pakistani militants infiltrated the Kashmir Valley in spite of that. The Army already has a robust counter infiltration grid in Kashmir and during the current year they were able to eliminate about 70 infiltrators along the LOC.

The Army and the BSF have been using the latest equipment on the J&K border to target infiltrators. They have been using high power cameras, thermal sensing cameras, state-of-the-art long range reconnaissance and observatory system (LORROS) along with surveillance radars. The Army has also been using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) to monitor the movement of militants on the launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK).

The Army has fears that Pakistan may try to push in many infiltrators in December, before snowfall blocks all infiltration routes for the next four-five months.

The Army has put in its best efforts to contain militancy and perhaps they have signalled to the political leadership of New Delhi to take their efforts further by way of dialogue and reconciliation in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir DGP S.P. Vaid on Thursday hailed the Army for “operation all out”, after five militants were killed in twin encounters of Pakharpora and Sopur. He tweeted that the encounter of 200 militants this year is a huge landmark and will bring peace in the valley.

The Army has also launched a number of programmes for the valley’s youths to wean them away from violence and also organised many musical shows, cricket tournaments in this direction. Recently, the Army launched one of the most massive cordon and search operations in the forests of Zirhama Lolab up to Kiran belt after they received inputs that many militants were waiting to sneak inside the Kashmir valley in this belt. The Army officially called off this operation on Thursday after more than a week of extensive searches in the forest.