Last Updated on November 24, 2023 at 4:36 pm
Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi today said Pakistan is making attempts to push its retired soldiers in terrorist ranks to revive terrorism in J&K
He made the remark after paying tributes to the five army personnel, including two captains, killed in gunfights with terrorists during an encounter in the Bajimaal area of Rajouri district’s Dharmsal belt on Wednesday and Thursday. Two terrorists, including a Pakistan-based top LeT commander Quari trained in Afghanistan, were killed by security forces during the encounter.
Talking to reporters, the Lt General said operations have been intensified in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch to clear the region of more than two dozen foreign terrorists within a year. The killing of the two dreaded foreign terrorists is a major setback for Pakistan’s plans to destabilise the region, said the army commander.
Asked about the presence of some special forces’ personnel of Pakistan among terrorist ranks, the Lt General said that “when we tried to seek identification of terrorists, we came to know that some of them are retired army personnel of Pakistan”.
“Pakistan is making attempts to push foreign terrorists into this region due to lack of support from the local population, especially the youth who are reluctant to get recruited in terrorist ranks. Our efforts are on to neutralise the foreign terrorists,” Lt General Dwivedi said.
On the number of active terrorists in the south of Pir Panjal, he said the number of terrorists in the Rajouri-Poonch belt fluctuates as the area is connected with the national highway. “Roughly there is a possibility of 20 to 25 terrorists operating in the area but the way army, police and other intelligence agencies have intensified their operations, we are sure to control the situation within one year,” Lt General Dwivedi said.
Earlier, J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, DGP RR Swain and other officers paid tributes to the fallen soldiers.
