300 terrorists active in J&K, infiltration
up: HM
‘Pak based
terror groups remain threat’
Home Minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde today said Pakistan-based terrorist groups continue to
sponsor, plan and organise terror act in India and their activities remain a
threat in the hinterland. Addressing members of the Consultative Committee for
Home Ministry, he said groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba continue to sponsor terror
acts in India.
“It is seen that
the planning and organising of terrorist acts from across the border continue.
Terrorists active in the hinterland remained a threat,” he told the Committee
at a meeting here. A terrorist group by the name of Indian Mujahideen was set
up by Pakistan-based terrorist elements in order to retain deniability and most
of the recruits in the IM were drawn from India. “Security agencies have
managed to identify and arrest most of the IM operatives. Their leaders,
however, remain at large,” he said, adding the Government has carried out an
assessment of the legal regime and the mechanisms for counter terrorism and has
taken concerted steps to strengthen these.
Union
Home Secretary Anil Goswami said there have been continuous efforts to bring
about better initiatives to tackle terrorism by comprehensive rules of
engagement, inclusive of legal framework, additional recruitments, intelligence
network and coordination with civil administration. Border management, mobility
and communication system for improving the security situation and combating
terrorism are other measures in this regard, he said.
Home
Minister Shinde said Left-wing extremism was one of the gravest challenges for
the country and the strategy to be adopted to combat violence in these areas
has to be a combination of security measures coupled with development. He
informed that a series of steps to combat terrorism in the country has been
taken which include sharing of intelligence through close and effective
coordination among Central and State level agencies and creation of four
regional hubs (Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata) of National Security
Guards (NSG) to cover the whole country which have strengthened the efforts to
combat terrorism.
The
members of the Committee deliberated on all aspects of combating terrorism in
the country and discussed the recent incidents of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern States,
Left-wing extremism, coordination among security agencies, rehabilitation
policy and security arrangements along the borders.
The Committee
also appreciated the services of the forces including paramilitary in relief
and rescue work during the recent Uttarakhand floods. Meanwhile, Pakistan-based
militant groups have intensified their infiltration attempts along the border
in Jammu and Kashmir
where around 300 terrorists continue to be active, according to the Home
Ministry.
In
a presentation at the meeting of the Consultative Committee for Home Ministry
today, it said efforts from Pakistan
and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir based elements
to spawn enhanced level of violence in the State by scaling up infiltration and
smuggling of arms and ammunition from across the LoC continue. “In 2012, 264
terrorists attempted infiltration from across the LoC as compared to 247 in
2011. Also, there was a rise in instances of successful infiltration as
compared to previous years with 121 terrorists entering Jammu and Kashmir in
2012 as compared to 52 in 2011,” the Home Ministry told the Consultative
Committee members.
Meanwhile,
ministry sources said there have been increased attempts by militant groups
based in PoK to send extremists into Jammu
and Kashmir in recent weeks.
Though few
militants have been successful to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir, most of the infiltration
attempts have been foiled by security forces deployed along the border, sources
said citing intelligence inputs. They said as of now around 250 to 300
militants are active in the state and are waiting for opportunities to disturb
peace in the State. Besides, there were incidents of violation of ceasefire
along the Line of Control by Pakistani troops ostensibly to facilitate
infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir.
Last fortnight, eight Army soldiers were killed and 11 others injured in a
gunfight with a group of terrorists in Bemina on the outskirts of Srinagar.
A
Junior Commissioned Officer was killed when Pakistan opened heavy fire with
automatic weapons and rockets on Indian posts along the LoC in Poonch sector
last month. Pakistani troops had pounded Indian posts along LoC in the Poonch
sector with rockets in May. A Brigadier and two jawans were injured when
Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian positions along the LoC in Tutmari Gali
sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
On June 26, two
militants were killed as Army troops foiled an infiltration bid along the LoC
in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI)
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