
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will go on a two-day tour to Jammu and Kashmir starting Thursday. Sources said that Singh would visit the forward areas in the Union Territory and review the operational preparedness of the armed forces.
Though the Line of Control (LoC) has been largely quiet since the reaffirmation of the ceasefire agreement between the directors-general of military operations of the Indian and Pakistani armies in February 2021, terrorist activity has increased in the hinterland areas.
Over a month ago Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said in a media interaction that barring two or three exceptions, the LoC had been quiet. But, he added, there was zero toleration for infiltration.
Around six major terrorist camps exist on the Pakistani side along the LoC, as do 29 minor ones, Dwivedi had said, adding that the temporary launching pads were “co-located with the military establishments”.
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He said that approximately 200 terrorists were waiting across to launch attacks, and that there were around 40-50 local terrorists within the Kashmir valley.
There have also been reports that some “M4 rifles made in the US” and “night-vision goggles made in the UK and China” were found in the region, hinting that some equipment left behind by the Nato forces in Afghanistan last year had made its way to Kashmir.
Pakistan has also been trying to push certain weapons and drugs across the LoC using small drones.
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