Situation in Kashmir firmly under control: Army

Army on Tuesday asserted that situation in Kashmir valley is firmly in control of security forces, after the Centre stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status, raising huge national and international concerns on the fall-outs.

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At Rawalpindi, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa presided over a conference of his Corps Commanders with the single point agenda of Kashmir.

“Pakistan Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end. We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfil our obligations in this regard,” Gen Bajwa said in a press statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, Pakistan.

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Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh responded that security forces were “maintaining a high state of alertness and readiness to counter any inimical design” and those who harboured “plans to disrupt peace and harmony would be dealt with firmly”.

Singh met senior officials from the security and intelligence establishments to review the operational readiness to meet any contingency that could adversely impact the security situation in J&K.

The Army Commander observed that in the past few days, Pakistan had intensified its efforts to increase the terrorists' strength in launch pads near the LoC and initiated ceasefire violations to push infiltrators across the LoC.

In addition, Pakistan was also calibrating terrorist actions in the hinterland and exploiting the social media to launch disinformation campaign in J&K.

Singh asked people not to fall prey to the enemy’s evil designs to poison their minds with incessant propaganda and exhorted them not to proliferate rumours, and dissuade their near and dear ones from indulging in rumour mongering.

He warned that if Pakistan Army continued with a disruptive course, the Indian Army would respond with resolve and that the cost would be prohibitive for them. So far the responses from Indian Army were befitting that thwarted their nefarious plans.

Giving details of security of the hinterland, Singh said counter terrorism and law and order grids had been strengthened with the deployment of the additional security forces to guard the vulnerable points, to control the crowd, maintain law and order and conduct effective counter terrorist operations.

The armed forces do expect actions from Pakistan, but any such cross-border action, sources said, might take few days as Pakistan may shift some of its forces from its western border with Afghanistan to areas near the LoC.