Three days after a suicide squad of Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit struck at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) center at Lethpora in Pulwama district, Northern Army commander on Wednesday visited the counterinsurgency division headquarters in south Kashmir to review the security situation.
Five CRPF personnel and three suicide attackers were killed in the prolonged gun-battle that began on December 31 and culminated in the evening of January 1. Two local terrorists and a suspected non-local were part of the suicide squad that inflicted heavy casualties on the security forces.
A defence spokesman said that Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu visited the hinterland formations at Sharifabad and Awantipora where he was given a firsthand account of the ground situation. Awantipora is the headquarters of counterinsurgency division Victor Force that manages the entire south Kashmir region and parts of central Kashmir. The Victor Force headquarters is situated around 10 kilometers from Lathpora where the suicide attack took place.
Lt Gen Anbu arrived in Kashmir on Tuesday to take stock of the situation on counterinsurgency and counter-infiltration fronts.
The Army Commander visited the forward posts in north Kashmir where he was briefed on the counter infiltration grid and operational preparedness of the formations for the coming months, defence spokesman said. During his interaction with officers and men on ground, the Army Commander lauded them for their high levels of morale and vigil and exhorted them to continue to work with zeal and dedication to overcome the challenges posed by weather and the enemy, the spokesman added.