Pakistan has reactivated Balakot camp: Army Chief

Pakistan has “reactivated” the Balakot terrorist camp that was destroyed by IAF’s precision strike in February this year and about 500 infiltrators are trying to sneak into the country, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said here on Monday.

Though about 500 people are trying to infiltrate, the Army Chief said, enough security measures have been put in place to ensure that they don’t sneak into the country. The “reactivation” of the terrorist camp by Pakistan is further proof that the attack by the IAF in February this year was successful, Gen Rawat suggested.

"Balakot has been reactivated by Pakistan very recently. That shows that Balakot has been affected. It had been damaged and destroyed. And that is why people have got away from there and now it has been reactivated," he told reporters at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) here.

On the number of people waiting to infiltrate, Gen Rawat said the number is 500 but it keeps fluctuating and it depends on the weather in the Line of Control (LoC).

The cross-border attack by IAF in the early hours of February 26 followed a deadly attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14 that killed more than 40 paramilitary personnel. Though Pakistan denied any attack by the IAF, the government presented proof to show that the attack was indeed carried out and the target was a JeM terrorist camp.

Gen Rawat, who was speaking after inaugurating the Young Leaders Training Wing at the OTA, was evasive when asked whether India would repeat a Balakot-style attack since Pakistan has reactivated the terror camp.

“Why must we expect a repeat of a similar thing? Earlier we did something, then we did Balakot, why not keep the other side guessing as to what we will do? Why tell them what we are going to do. Why not keep them guessing? Why say repeat? Why not something beyond that?” he asked.

The Army Chief said the security agencies have taken enough steps to ensure that the infiltration does not take place through a slew of measures like increased deployment along the LoC.

On the situation in Kashmir Valley, which has been shutdown ever since abrogation of Article 370 in August, the Army Chief said terrorists were trying to “creating a façade” as if there was clampdown in the Valley but normal activities were on.

“Communication breakdown is happening between handlers of terrorists operating from Pakistan and terrorists in the Valley. But, otherwise, communication is happening, the lines are through,” he said.

All the telephones lines have been opened up and there is no communication breakdown between people to people, Gen Rawat maintained.