Lt-General B.S. Raju, commander of the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, on Saturday said less than 30 infiltrators had sneaked into Kashmir this year from across the Line of Control (LoC) compared with 130 during the same period last year.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the passing out-cum-attestation parade at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JKLI) centre at Rangreth in Srinagar, Raju credited the decline in the infiltration to effective counter-infiltration measures taken by the Army.
“This year, we have stopped infiltration to a large extent,” he said. “Last year, there were 130 infiltrators who had sneaked into Kashmir. This year, it is less than 30.” He emphasised the significant dip in number. “I hope this will also reflect in the change on the ground also,” he said.
Raju said the Army on Saturday foiled a weapons smuggling bid into Kashmir across the Kishenganga river and recovered four Kalashnikov rifles.
Raju said the cache was recovered because of the surveillance devices.
He said the militants are being neutralised in the operations in the hinterland.
“This morning, we neutralised two militants including one foreigner,” Raju said.
Raju said in the last six months, the recruitment of militants had gone down. But for the last 15 days, it has gone up slightly, he said.
Raju said recruitment of militants is little more in south Kashmir than in the north.
Raju said the economic activity has also started in Kashmir and apple and paddy cultivation has also begun. “I hope slowly people of Kashmir will tread on the path of happiness,” he said.
To a question about the presence of militants at the launchpads, the 15 Corps commander said some 250-300 militants are at the launchpads, but the Army has been able to prevent infiltration.
To another question about the surrender policy, Raju said the Army has recommended a policy but that is yet to be formalised. “Even in the absence of a policy, we have a policy of taking care of those who return,” he said.
On the Shopian fake encounter case, he said the court of inquiry has been completed and on the basis of the inquiry, it was found that some wrongs had been committed. “We have ordered a summary of evidence and have covered some distance. Hopefully, we [will] reach the next stage soon,” he said.
In the panchayat election, he said the Army hoped that all people participate in grassroots democracy.
