'Kashmir sees fewer violations than Jammu'

The Army on Saturday said that ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Kashmir region were less as compared to the Jammu region.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt General Subrata Saha, said the Valley is witnessing comparatively less ceasefire violations than the areas falling under 16 Corps due to “very robust counter infiltration grid put in place.”


“Ceasefire violations are definitely a cause of concern. But I must tell you Kashmir is witnessing less such incidents as compared to areas like Pir Panjal and other areas in Jammu that fall under the command of 16 Corps,” he told reporters after unveiling the statue of a soldier at JAKLI Centre here.

“Because of the improvement and robustness of the counter-infiltration posture, we are able to prevent infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) and that I think is an important factor in ensuring secure conditions for people to be able to exercise their franchise during the upcoming Assembly elections in the state,” Lt General Saha said, adding that there was no increase in infiltration attempts from across the LoC.

“Providing a conducive atmosphere for holding peaceful elections is a priority and the effective counter-infiltration grid on the LoC is helping in securing the situation in the Valley. Vigil on LoC has become more imperative in order to provide a peaceful and conducive atmosphere,” he said.

The senior Army commander termed educated youth joining militancy as ‘disturbing and a matter of concern’. “I would submit that any youth joining militancy is disturbing. And if educated youth are joining, it is more disturbing. To that extent yes, it certainly causes concern to us. It certainly encourages us to take initiatives to keep the youth more meaningfully engaged,” the GOC 15-Corps said.