300 militants active in Kashmir, 600 waiting to sneak in: Army

The army on Tuesday said there was an increase in militants active in Jammu and Kashmir, pegging the number between 280 and 300, a two-fold jump from last year's estimate of 119.

The army on Tuesday said there was an increase in militants active in Jammu and Kashmir, pegging the number between 280 and 300, a 100% jump from the last year's estimate of 119.

HT Image

It said that more militants would be pushed into the Valley with terror infrastructure intact in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. "Nearly 300 militants are active in Kashmir. Though militancy related incidents are taking place, the overall situation is stable," said 15 Corps general officer commanding Lt General Om Prakash in Srinagar.

Prakash, who took over the charge of strategic 15 Corps from Lt General Ata Muhammad Hasnain recently, said the militant infrastructure in PoK and Pakistan was still in place.

"Our inputs suggest that nearly 600 militants are waiting at launching pads in PoK. The mentors of militants are carrying out regular reconnaissance missions from forward posts, looking for opportunities so that militants can be sneaked into the Valley," he said.

Prakash, however, said the army had put in place the requisite protocol for tackling infiltration from across the border. "The army has been able to bring down the level of infiltration, but we cannot stop it completely due to the tough terrain."