300 ultras active in J&K, 160 at Pakistani launch pads: Army

Jammu, November 22

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, on Tuesday said there were nearly 300 terrorists active in J&K. Of them, 82 are from Pakistan, 53 local residents and around 170 are unidentified.

Besides, 160 terrorists are present at the launch-pads in Pakistan-occupied J&K along the LoC who are waiting to infiltrate, the officer said.

“Out of these 160 terrorists, 130 are at the launch pads located north of Pir Panjal while 30 are in the south of these mountain ranges,” he said during a press conference in Poonch at the platinum jubilee event of Poonch Link-Up Day, marking ‘Operation Easy’ in 1948.

“The Army has controlled terrorism to a great extent. Pakistan is now trying to send pistols, grenades and drugs into J&K so that small incidents of violence can be continued. However, innocent people who have come to earn a living in Kashmir are being targeted by the terrorists. Even locals in Valley are against such incidents,” he said.

He said Pakistan was also focusing on smuggling drugs into India, and the Army had been able to foil many such bids along the LoC.

The top Army commander also said counter-drone equipment had been deployed at different places in J&K to check airdropping of weapons and drugs from across the border. Lt Gen Dwivedi said the security agencies had also identified all the places where weapons are being dropped to ensure that terrorists, who are running short of arms, do not get hold of the weapons.

Militants running short of weapons

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi says counter-drone equipment have been deployed to check airdropping of weapons and drugs from across the border so that terrorists, running short of weapons, do not get the same.