New Delhi/Jammu: Pakistani troops resorted to firing and violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir five times in June and July, Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurian Antony said Wednesday.
There were two violations in June and three in July, he told the Rajya Sabha (Indian Upper House of Parliament) in a statement. The Pakistanis used small arms, machine guns and rocket launchers, he said.
The LoC divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
He said all incidents of ceasefire violations were probed and protests lodged with the Pakistani military authorities at the appropriate level.
He also told the House that 52 terrorists had attempted infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan till June this year, down from 489 in the whole of 2010. The army killed two terrorists trying to breach the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir “till date in 2011” he said, adding that last year, the army had killed 38 terrorists.
The Indian Army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh Wednesday warned that terrorists retained the ability to calibrate the level of violence in Jammu and Kashmir despite suffering severe setbacks.
General Singh was addressing soldiers posted along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts in the south of Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas.
He is on a two-day visit of Jammu region to review the security situation along the LoC.
A defense spokesperson quoted General Singh as telling the soldiers, “Though the terrorists have taken a severe beating in the region over the last few years and their morale is at the lowest ebb, yet the terrorists still retain the capability to calibrate the level of violence.”
He urged the troops to raise the level of vigil in the state.
“We need to remain alert and not fall prey to nefarious designs of the terrorists. Our duty is not only to combat terrorism but to ensure the safety of local population during the conduct of operations,” he said.
The army chief also reiterated the need to ensure zero violations of human rights.
