NEW DELHI: Anticipating violent summer season as the encounters between security forces and terrorist are rising, India on Thursday conveyed its concerns to Pakistan about increased movement of militants on the Line of Control (LOC).
Putting their concerns on official plateform, the Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General AK Bhatt on Thursday morning spoke to his Pakistani counterpart on the hotline, while informing repatriation of two Pakistani nationals apprehended after Uri attack. Two Pakistani youth were arrested last year in September following militant attack on an Army camp in Uri in which 19 soldiers were killed.
But, soon after Indian army issued a statement on DGMO hotline talks and reacting to Indian apprehensions, Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said Indian concerns on terrorists' movement along LOC were strongly rejected. “Indian Army asked to look inward, share evidence,” he tweeted.
On Wednesday the National Investigation Agency(NIA) gave a clean chit to the two youths Faisal Hussain Awan and Ahsan Khursheed and handed them over to the Army on Wednesday for repatriation to Pakistan. They were apprehended on the premise that they acted as guides for the militants who attacked the Army camp.
Pakistan DGMO was also informed about the repatriation of two Pakistan nationals apprehended in Uri, Kashmir. The individuals will be repatriated through Wagah border on 10 March.
On concerns over movement of terrorists along the LOC in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the Army said
"the DGMO spoke to the Pakistan Army DGMO this morning(Thursday). He expressed concern regarding the movement of terrorists noticed along the LOC)."
The Indian DGMO made this observation in the backdrop of at least nine soldiers including two officers dying and 30 terrorists killed in the last two months in Kashmir in various encounters. Expecting a “hot summer,” with Pakistan Army and ISI determined to push terrorists into Kashmir from across the LOC in the coming weeks, officials said India also raised this point during the talks.
According to the data compiled by the Jammu and Kashmir State Multi-Agency Centre (MAC), over 400 terrorists are hiding in the South Kashmir including 150 foreign terrorists. Sources also claimed over 90 local youths have joined militancy in Kashmir since local militant Burhan Wani killed in encounter with security forces.
Last time the two DGMOs talked to each other on the hotline after an Indian Army soldier Chandu Chavan strayed into POK last year. The Indian DGMO had then informed his Pakistani counterpart about the incident. The soldier was released by Pakistan last month and handed over to India.