HT Correspondent

letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI : Army chief Genaral Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir could escalate any moment and the country must be prepared.

His remarks have come against the backdrop of a spike in ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army along the LoC since the Centre’s move revoking the special status of J&K on August 5.

A soldier was killed in north Kashmir’s Gurez sector and another one Rajouri district in firing across the LoC on December 16.

“The situation along the LoC can escalate any time. We have to be prepared for escalatory matrix,” news agency PTI quoted Rawat as saying. Rawat will finish his three-year term as army chief on December 31.

HT reported on October 14 that the army has deployed more troops along the LoC to deal with an unusual spike in infiltration attempts by Pakistan-backed terrorists looking to stir trouble in the region since the government’s move to remove the special status of the state and bifurcate it into two Union Territories.

Infiltration attempts, accompanied by ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army, are taking place frequently along the LoC since August 5, a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. The number of border violations by Pakistan has risen dramatically this year.