E-Paper
Centre to re-deploy Army on border
The decision was taken by the Army chief to review security situation in J&K.
With the growing infiltration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has decided to re-deploy the Army in Gurez and Poonch sectors along the Indo-Pak border.
The decision was taken on Wednesday at a high-level meeting, chaired by Army chief General JJ Singh, to review the security situation in the state in the wake of increased infiltration this year.
About 200 terrorists are reported to have crossed over since April this year as against 231 terrorists in the whole of 2005. After 2002, there was a gradual decline in the infiltration of terrorists. But 2006 has proved to be an aberration.
Troops will be pulled out of parts of the Kashmir Valley and rushed to Gurez and Poonch, which witnessed the maximum infiltration in the past three months. The Army -- along with the BSF and the state police -- will put in place a three-layer cordon to check infiltration in the two "sensitive sectors".
The meeting was attended by home secretary VK Duggal and senior officials of the Army and paramilitary forces.
Officials said the increased infiltration was a shot in the arm for the LeT and the JeM that had been hampered by a shortage of men. The stepped-up violence in the Valley in the past few months, particularly the series of grenade attacks, was attributed to the "launch of more terrorists from across the border".
