Increased terrorist activities in Rajouri-Poonch: Army chief Manoj Pande

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande said on Monday that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is under control but an increase in terrorist activities has been witnessed in the southern region of Pir Panjal and Rajouri-Poonch in the last few months.

He, however, asserted that due to the efforts of the security personnel, there has been a significant drop in violence in the interior areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the 76th Army Day parade in Lucknow, General Pande said, "On the western front, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is under control. But in the past few months, there has been an increase in terrorist activities in the southern region of Pir Panjal and Rajouri-Poonch."

"There is a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC), but from the attempts made to infiltrate, it is clear that the terror infrastructure across the border is still intact. Attempts to infiltrate have been foiled by the Army while maintaining complete alertness," he said.

The Army chief underlined that the number of terror-related incidents has seen a significant drop in the interior areas of Jammu and Kashmir due to the continuous efforts of the security forces.

"We are working with all the stakeholders in a committed manner to uproot and end the terror network in the country," he said.

Talking about the northeast, General Pande said, "In the past few years, there have been important peace accords and peace dialogues with local insurgent groups. As a result of this, there has been a positive development in the region. The proactive policies of the government have played a major role in restoring peace." He said the situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur has been brought under control due to the government being proactive and the efforts of the Indian Army.

The Army chief said the soldiers have shown maturity in a sensitive atmosphere, adding that "concrete efforts are on to establish peace and harmony in the state".

The Army is "fully ready and competent to deal with any situation" on the northern borders, he added.

"To develop oocuur capability on the northern borders, we have taken a number of concrete steps. Through the provisions of emergency prrement, we have got a number of modern equipment, including arms and weapons with niche technology. Special attention has been paid to develop critical infrastructure in border areas and good progress has been made in this area," the COAS said.

Meanwhile, the 76th Army Day was also celebrated at the Sapt Shakti Command in Jaipur.

According to a defence spokesperson, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Sapta Shakti Command, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, paid tributes to the brave warriors who laid down their lives in the line of duty by offering floral tributes at the Prerna Sthal in Jaipur.

The GOC-in-C extended hearty greetings to all officials, ex-servicemen and their families. He congratulated all the ranks for their service and devotion to duty and encouraged them to live up to the standards of a strong 21st-century army.