Jammu, November 13

The Army has procured special anti-mine boots for troops deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir with the twin aims of facilitating domination of the landmine-infested forward areas and hot pursuit of terrorists if necessary, a top Army officer said.

As part of the counter-infiltration grid, the soldiers have to get into forward areas for domination and at times even undertake hot pursuit of the terrorists and subversive elements, General Officer Commanding of Jammu-based, 16 Corps, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh said in an interview.

“We have purchased equipment such as anti-mine boots and deep search metal detectors out of the special funds to facilitate these operations and at the same time ensure the safety of our soldiers,” he said. He said the forward areas along the LoC under 16 Corps — a length of nearly 250 km of rugged terrain and dense bushes — had inherent landmine dangers but all preparations, including safety precautions, had been taken for carrying out the operations. He was replying to a question about activation of landmines near the anti-infiltration obstacle system and subsequent casualties in which a Lt Colonel and a jawan were injured on October 28. Referring to recent incidents of two soldiers, including an officer, getting injured in anti-personnel mine blasts, the General said in both cases they had stepped on drifted mines. “Fortunately, they were wearing anti-mine boots, which limited the damage to their feet and the limbs were saved,” he added. — PTI