Himalayan News Service

Jammu, February 13:

Terrorist incursions across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir will continue as long as Pakistan does not dismantle its infrastructure that supports guerrillas, a top Indian Army commander has said.

The fence built by the army along a major portion of the 742 km LoC was a “major deterrence but not the ultimate” measure to prevent infiltration, said Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma, chief of 16 Corps.

Sharma’s troops guard stretches of the LoC — which divides Jammu and Kashmir

between India and Pakistan — that are most vulnerable to infiltration.

“The LoC fence certainly is a major deterrent but not the end. We have to ensure that Pakistan dismantles the terrorist infrastructure that helps infiltrators to cross, Sharma said, adding upograded technology could bring infiltration to negligible levels which can be handled.

Sharma said intelligence reports and revelations by guerrillas during interrogation clearly suggested that the “terrorists infrastructure in terms of training camps, communication facilities...are still intact”. “They are waiting to cross and because of a lot of effort by us — in terms of the fence, surveillance equipment, latest techniques and extra alertness on the borders — it is difficult for the terrorist to cross over,” he said.