Steps to check infiltration: ground
sensors along LoC
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 23 — The Indian Army will soon deploy state-of-the-art unattended ground sensors, thermal imagery sights, hand-held laser-range finders, global positioning systems (GPS) and mine-protected vehicles in the Kashmir valley to check infiltration of militants from across the border.

Sophisticated gadgets will be in position along the border in Jammu and Kashmir by March next year when the mountain passes become clear of snow, Director-General (Infantry) Lieut-Gen Shankar Prasad told mediapersons here today.

"It is very important to stop infiltration of militants from across the line of control (LoC) to curb insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir", he said.

Stressing that the gadgets would immensely improve the capacity to monitor and neutralise intruders at the border itself, he said "prevention of infiltration is the best way of breaking the back of insurgency in the state".

The Infantry Director-General, whose personnel are engaged in anti-militancy and border-guarding operations in Jammu and Kashmir, said with the help of these devices, intruders' movements (their time and place) could be recorded to help the forces to neutralise them. The gadgets were so sophisticated that these could distinguish between a "human and an animal", he explained.

He said in view of the emerging security demands, a new organisation called "Infantry Battalion 4B" with enhanced firepower and mobility and upgraded surveillance had been set up to absorb the state-of-the-art equipment.

"We are also getting twin war-headed Mark-111 rocket launchers capable of penetrating all kinds of armour, automatic grenade launchers and shoulder-fired anti-tank systems, besides equipping the 5.56mm light machine guns with night vision devices," General Prasad said while briefing mediapersons ahead of the "Infantry Day" to be celebrated on October 27 to commemorate the Indian Army’s successful operation against Pakistani raiders in 1947 in Kashmir.

Asked whether the international sanctions in the field of military cooperation would affect the modernisation of the armed forces, he said: "My requirement is being fully met by the government. I am not concerned with other things."

Asserting that fighting insurgency was Army’s job, he dismissed apprehensions that the troops were fatigued, saying "we are not tired."

Emphasising that the troops were fully geared in terms of equipment and morale to defeat the "low-cost warfare thrust upon by Pakistan", he said the infantry was continuously undergoing modernisation to keep abreast with the changes taking place at the global level.

"The infantry is in the process of enhancing fire-power, upgrading surveillance, increasing anti-tank capabilities and improving mobility," the Director-General said.