ISLAMABAD: A misadventure by the Indian Armed Forces couldn’t be ruled out this week just before the show-down between prime ministers of the two countries on Friday in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 74th annual summit as Indian has claimed on Monday without offering any piece of evidence that five hundred “infiltrators” are waiting to sneak into disputed Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
Well-placed sources told The News on Monday that Pakistan has put in place all arrangements to thwart any misadventure. The threat has come from Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and Indian Army sources have maintained that “Our response will be at any level, any range, anywhere. Adequate plans are prepared. The 15 Corp, based in Srinagar, isn’t only for defencive operations.”
General Bipin Rawat said Pakistan has reactivated the Balakot terror camp very recently and about 500 infiltrators were waiting to sneak into India. His claim had not a single iota of evidence. “The response to the terror camp getting functional again may go beyond India’s previous response by way of an air strike in February,” he told media in Chennai.
In February India pressed into action a dozen multi-role sophisticated plane to attack Balakot but failed in inflicting any damage and escaped after dropping their payload in a deserted area.
“Let me tell you, Balakot has been reactivated by Pakistan very recently,” he said apparently stating that the terror camp beyond the border has become operational again while answering a question on new terror camps. Interestingly, in March Congress leader Sam Pitroda had asked the government to come out with “more facts” on the Balakot air strikes, and it had led to a political slugfest.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) failed in producing any evidence to prove its claims. Asked about the response to the reactivation and if a repeat strike may be expected, he said: “Why must you expect repeat of a similar thing, earlier, we did something, then we did Balakot, why must we repeat...why not keep the other side guessing as to what we will do; why tell him what we are going to do; why not keep him guessing, why say repeat, why not something beyond that.
To a question on the number of infiltrators waiting to get in, he said the numbers kept fluctuating based on the weather pattern. “These numbers keep fluctuating, but I would say yes there are at least 500 people who are waiting to infiltrate and that is the minimum number,” he said.
As the ice has melted, the bid to infiltrate is towards the northern part of Jammu and Kashmir and when temperature falls such attempts were through areas less vulnerable to snowfall, he said.
The army has taken adequate measures to curb infiltration to the maximum extent by deploying more troops along the Line of Control, he said. Other areas, along the International Border were, however, being exploited for such purposes, he pointed out. The information on the “revival” of Balakot came four days ago. Security agencies are alert to intelligence reports which indicate the possibility of a major threat in the run-up to the festive season.
The threat perception is stronger this year than it has been in the past few years. The nature of the threat is "presently far more serious" than ahead of the festival season during other years. The number of terrorists waiting to cross over is double that in the past three years. It is estimated that 60 terrorists have crossed over in the last two months, at the Line of Control as well as the International Border.
Four or five terror launch pads are believed to be ready to push in terrorists. The increased activity, say sources, is linked to Pakistan's anger over India's decision on August 5 to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two Union Territories. Pakistan downgraded ties with India and resolved to internationalise the issue which, India has asserted repeatedly, is its internal matter.
“The window for terrorist infiltration starts closing in by November depending on the sector ... Gurez-Kargil-Machhil-Keran-Tangdhar-Uri close down, in that order, usually depending on snowfall and open up for infiltration in the opposite way,” said Indian army sources.