Militants in Kashmir are facing a shortage of weapons: Army

Stating that militants are facing a shortage of weapons in Kashmir, the Army on Tuesday said that Pakistan is trying to airdrop arms and ammunition close to the Line of Control (LoC) to fuel militancy in the Valley.

“The tactics used by Pakistan to smuggle weapons into India have failed and now it is trying to push in weapons by dumping the same in the areas close to the LoC,” GOC of 19 Infantry Division, Baramulla, Major General Varinder Vats told reporters.

“Pakistan has tasked the over ground workers (OGWs) who reside in villages close to the LoC to deliver the weapons to militants. But so far all such bids have failed,” he said while referring to the multiple hideouts busted by the army in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The GOC said Pakistan is frustrated due to a blockade of infiltration. “The coordination between various security agencies had forced it (Pakistan) to push more advanced weapons into the valley. But the halt in supply-chain has left militants high and dry,” he said and added that in south Kashmir, militants only possess pistols now.

General Vats said Pakistan is unrelenting in its effort to push in arms to strengthen militancy in Kashmir “but alert troops along the LoC have been able to defeat the attempts.

Earlier, last month J&K police chief Dilbagh Singh also said that militants were facing a huge shortage of arms and ammunition.

“Pakistan has been trying to send arms and ammunition to militants through drones (UAVs). We have detected several such incidents in the past,” Singh had said.