For representation only. File photo
Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, June 19
A top officer of the India Army in Kashmir said on Friday that there was “no connection” between the spike in ceasefire violations along Line of Control in Kashmir and the tension along the LAC in the Ladakh.
The General officer Commanding (GoC) 15 Corps Lieutenant General BS Raju said he does not see any such major connection as of now between the CFVs in Kashmir and Ladakh situation.
“The CFVs by Pakistan along the LoC are happening as per the old strategy in which it wants to push in more terrorists into the valley. If there is one entity in the world who is not happy with the peace in the valley, it is Pakistan. The moment there is peace in the valley, it generates violence—both from across as CFVs as well as sending instructions to entities or its proxies within the valley to generate violence. I do not see any such major connection (between CFV and Ladakh situation) as of now,” Lt Gen Raju said during the press briefing in Srinagar.
Official figures reveal there has been a spurt in the ceasefire violations along the LoC in J&K despite the COVID-19 lockdown. Data compiled reveal that 1,632 ceasefire violations have taken place on the LoC from January 1 to June 2, 2020.
Most of the ceasefire violations have been occurring on the LoC in the Jammu division.
However LoC in Kashmir has also been hot. Four civilians and two soldiers were killed in different ceasefire violations on LoC in North Kashmir since January this year. Only last week a 40-year-old woman was killed and another injured in the Uri sector of Baramulla district in cross border shelling.
Lt Gen Raju said they were fully prepared at the LoC to ensure CFVs and infiltrations were kept in check.
“The existing CFVs have happened through a pattern and there has not been any great increase in the number of CFVs, but, definitely, some of them have been intense which inflicted some civilian casualties. We are taking proper measures to provide more security and safety to the civilian population. .We are fully prepared at the LoC to ensure that this particular phenomenon of CFVs and infiltration is kept in check,” he said.
Lt Gen Raju said the situation on the LoC and in the hinterland is stable.
“We will ensure that there will be no misadventure both from outside of the LoC and as well as within the valley. And we will ensure that the situation is kept normal and the people of the valley will be able to go about their jobs in the most normal manner,” he added.