JAMMU: As part of a new action plan against militants, almost all vulnerable routes along the line of actual control (LAC) in Kashmir have been seal by the security forces to check possible infiltration of trained Kashmiri youth from Pakistan.
Highly placed sources said that in the last few weeks the army and border security force have developed a double defence mechanism along the passes and gullies in northwest Kashmir and Poonch Rahouri sectors in Jammu region with a view to plugging all the traditional infiltration routes.
These special measures, the sources said, have been taken in Shameswari range, Bungus valley, Keran, Karnah and Tilel in Kupwara and Bandi pore sectors, and Toshmaidan and Gulmarg side of west Kashmir.
After the identification of these traditional routes, a two line defence mechanist been adopted besides strictly enforcing dusk to dawn curfew along the five km border belt throughout the state.
In Jammu region, the security forces have put up more pickets and intensified patrolling near the mountain passes in Mendhar, Rajouri and Poonch sectors. Besides, the security forces have taken measures for floodlighting vulnerable points over the ravines and streams which provide ideal routes to the intruders during the monsoon.
The security forces have also intensified extra vigil and patrolling after identifying five escape routes—Golepatian, Suchetgarh, Ramgarh, Kahna Chak and Gokhrial in Akhnoor sector—on the 200 kms IndoPak border in Jammu region,
State governor Girish Chander Saxena, accompanied by senior army and security officials, had recently, made aerial surveys: of these infiltration routes along LAC and discussed ways and means to plug the “holes” which the subversives have attempted to use during the course of infiltration.
The sources however did not Tule out the possibility of some 20 to 30 per cent infiltration still taking place because of the vulnerability of borders in Jammu and Kashmir stretching to approximately 1200 kms,
Meanwhile, a report from Srinagar, state’s summer capital, said that as many as 80 militants were killed and 222 arrested by security forces in the past six months while they were trying to sneak into India,
From January to June end this year, 1500 persons were arrested from different parts of the Kashmir valley, where Pakistan trained militants fighting for secession from India have unleashed a wave of violence, police officials said
Article extracted from this publication >> July 27, 1990
