NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, reviewed the overall security situation prevailing in the Valley.
According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) official, Parrikar was accompanied by Army Chief General Dalbir Singh.
Both visited the 15 Corps. Besides visiting war memorial, the Defence Minister was briefed by the 15 Corps Commander, on the prevailing situation in the Valley.
Eight Army men, including a Lt Colonel and three personnel of the J&K police, were killed in two major militant attacks at Nowgam and Uri on December 1 and December 5, respectively. Six terrorists were also killed in these two incidents.
“The minister was apprised about the robust Counter Infiltration grid along the Line of Control and the Counter Terrorist grid in the hinterland established by Army.
“He was also given an overview of the Counter Infiltration and Counter Terrorist Operations undertaken by the Corps in the recent past,” said a senior MoD official.
Parrikar appreciated the effectiveness of the intelligence and operational grid, and the higher success rate in neutralising infiltration attempts this year, according to officials.
The minister also inspected the weapons, ammunition and war-like stores recovered during the recent operations by the Army.
Earlier, Parrikar had faced criticism, for attending Goa Lit Festival when J&K witnessed a series of attacks by the militants, mere days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political rally in Srinagar.
The Army officials have claimed that during the recent attacks, the terrorists were far more trained and equipped, in comparison to the previous attacks.
“In recent strikes, the terrorists involved in the operations were better trained and equipped, than they were earlier.
“We have recovered AK-47 rifles and other weapons and also a rocket launcher from militants’ possession. It indicated their intentions to strike hard and to do maximum damage,”said an officer.