Terror in J-K has shrunk from highly organised acts to mere proxy war: Amit Shah

New Delhi, June 16

The fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase and recent incidents show that terrorism has been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.

During a high-level meeting at the North Block here to review the security situation in the Union Territory in the wake of recent terrorist attacks there, he also directed security agencies to implement area domination and zero-terror plans in the Jammu division like they did in Kashmir to achieve success.

The government is determined to root out terrorism, Shah asserted.

The meeting with top security officials was convened to review the situation in the wake of the attacks in the Union Territory’s Jammu region, officials said.

Shah directed the security agencies to work on a mission mode and ensure quick response in a coordinated manner.

He also stressed on seamless coordination among security agencies, identifying vulnerable areas and addressing security concerns in these areas.

Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the government would leave no stone unturned to root out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.

The efforts of the Government of India have yielded great positive results in the Kashmir Valley with significant reduction in terror-related incidents, he said.

Shah noted that the improvement in the law and order situation is reflected in the record flow of tourists in the Kashmir Valley.

The home minister appreciated the security agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir administration for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha election, which witnessed record voter turnout in the Union Territory.

He directed the agencies to replicate in the Jammu division the successes achieved in the Kashmir Valley through the area domination plan and the zero-terror plan, the officials said.

The fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase and the recent incidents show that terrorism has been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war, the minister said.

In a subsequent meeting, Shah also reviewed the preparations for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin on June 29.

The officials said the home minister was given a thorough briefing on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces are expected to intensify counter-terrorism operations in the coming days.

The operations against terrorists will be carried out in line with the prime minister’s directive, they said.

Shah presided over the high-level meeting, three days after Prime Minister Modi held a similar meeting where he directed officials to deploy the “full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities” after a spate of terror incidents, including an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of the Jammu region.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Anish Dayal Singh, BSF Director General Nitin Agarwal, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R Swain and other top security officials attended the meeting.