In the ensuing year so far, security forces have neutralized 46 militants of which 37 were foreigners and it’s for the first time that the elimination of foreign militants is four times more than the locals, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said Monday.
The army commander was speaking to the media after the inauguration of three-day North Tech Symposium at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu on Monday, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The army commander said that this is for the first time that the among militants killed in various operations across the region this year, the number of foreign militants was four times higher than locals.”
Elaborating further, the northern army commander said in the first eight months was 46 and out of these, nine were locals and 37 were foreigners.
“Moreover, 29 of these militants have been killed in the South of Pir Panchal,” he added.
On Challenges
The northern army commander said that the neighboring country is frustrated with the restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and attempts are being made from across the border to disrupt peace in UT. “But we will never allow it to happen,” he said.
He said that the Northern Command is not only guarding the Line of Control (LOC) but also the Line of Actual Control (LAC), adding, that the “induction of upgraded technology will benefit the Indian Army and further augment the Armed Forces.”
As far as the situation along the border is concerned, the Northern Command is always ready operationally, he said.
“India Army is maintaining vigil 24×7 along the LAC and the LoC as well and due to operations, peace is restoring in Jammu and Kashmir,” the army officer said.
On increasing militantincidents in Rajouri and Poonch districts, he said, “wherever peace returns, Pakistan tries to disturb it.”
He said: “Despite Pakistan’s worsening situation internally, foreign militants are being pushed to the Indian Territory because local militants and support to the neighbour is almost zero in Jammu and Kashmir and the citizens of this region are up against terrorism and instead standing by the security forces.”
The army commander said that as the deployment and technology has changed to a larger extent, militants trying to infiltrate are being neutralised on the border only and the attempts are being foiled successfully.”
He said that all the top commanders of various terror outfits are eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir, which has frustrated the Pakistan.
On North Tech Symposium, the Army Commander said that ‘Atmanirbharta’ is a first step for India to get global leadership and to boost Atmanirbharta, industry, military and academia have come together and “we will march forward so that the technology we already had, which we are importing, we will find an alternate solution to it.”
He said latest technology is coming ahead, and “we have to jointly work upon so that the cumulative effect should be so good that we move ahead of other countries.”
Elaborating on the symposium, the Army Commander said that the equipment is divided into five parts.
“Survivability of protection, mobility, surveillance and communication, infrastructural development and fire power are the key areas focussed in the North Tech,” said the Army Commander.
He stated that one-third of the equipment is already inducted into the Army, which needs improvement and the two-third developed by the industry after they understood the requirement and if the need arises and it meets army’s expectation, same shall also be inducted after trials.
He said that the technology must be known to everyone irrespective of any age group and the North Tech is being attended by the battery of officers from various commands so that they get learned and get aware of the latest technology for adopting it into the Armed Forces.
Lt Gen Dwivedi said that the equipment on display in the North Tech is completely focussed on the ‘Atmanirbharta’, adding, “so far 256 equipments are inducted into the Army from the last North Tech held in May 2022 in Northern Command after successful trials.”
On drone challenges, the Army Commander said, “counter drone equipment’s are also inducted and they are being upgraded time to time.” He said that “along the Line of Control (LoC), we need intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and moreover a lot of equipment is inducted, which is used in warfare.”
The Army Commander, however, also said that with each passing day, technology along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is improving—(KNO)