New Delhi: The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command Lt General Upendera Dwivedi on Sunday said that the army has launched its counter-operations against the terrorists operating in Rajouri-Poonch belt.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an Armed Forces Veterans' Day event in Srinagar, the northern army commander said, "In the last few years, the Rajouri-Poonch area has witnessed prosperity...there was investment and employment. Our neighbouring country was not able to accept the peace and prosperity and so they are promoting terrorism in the area. We have started to take strong actions in this regard and you will see that there will be control over such activities in the coming days.”
Noting that the northern border area is sensitive, Lt General Dwivedi said, “We have declared 2023 as a zero-infiltration year, which means there was no infiltration from the Line of Control in 2023...Among the terrorists that have been killed, only 21 are locals whereas 55 are from other countries.”
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Notably, the army suffered 20 casualties last year in a spate of attacks in Rajouri-Poonch belt.
He further said that in 2022, 122 young men joined and in 2023, the number reduced to 19. “We will continue to ensure that local terrorist recruitment is plugged. We are ensuring to further strengthen the synergy among various security agencies,” Lt General Upendera Dwivedi added.
Speaking further about the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region, he said five of the seven friction points where the Army and Chinese PLA were locked in a standoff have been resolved and talks are underway for the remaining areas.
"The northern border area is stable but it is not normal or I can say it's sensitive," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
(With PTI inputs)