New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday was informed that infiltration from Pakistan has gone down considerably but terrorists are still present in significant numbers in various launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), reported PTI.
In written response to questions over pertaining situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and international borders with Pakistan ministers of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai and Nitish Pramaik gave details of steps taken by the government in countering the menace of infiltration and dropping of arms and ammunition using drones.
Infiltration across the LoC has decreased significantly since 2018 in Jammu and Kashmir, Rai told the house.
The figure of infiltration in 2021 stood at 34 whereas it was 143 in 2018, 138 in 2019 and 51 in 2020, he added.
However, there was a word of caution as the minister informed the house that "as per inputs, a significant number of suspected terrorists remain present at various launch pads in Pakistan/Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)", stated PTI.
He said the government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration which includes multi-tiered deployment along the international border and LoC, border fencing, improved intelligence and operational coordination, equipping security forces with advanced weapons and taking proactive action against infiltrators.
Replying to another question regarding launch pads and infrastructure built across the border, Parmaik said that the government regularly reviews the security situation along the LoC and takes precautionary measures for thwarting any move by threat elements including the terrorists.
"However, information sought being a sensitive operational matter concerning national security, cannot be divulged in the interest of national security," he added.
Pramanik also said that the border guarding forces are well equipped to neutralise threats emanating from misuse of drones by rogue elements including terrorists while replying to a question about use of drones for delivery of ammunition by terrorists along the international border.
"An incident of use of a drone to deliver ammunition was noticed and the drone was neutralised in Punjab along Indo-Pakistan border in 2022," he said and added that anti-drone systems have been deployed along the border to tackle such situations.
In addition, border guarding forces have taken various preventive as well as precautionary measures to counter drones which include framing of standard operating procedures for countering drones, adequate deployment of troops and patrolling, and deployment of surveillance equipment.
Pakistan and India have been observing a ceasefire along the LoC for over a year now.