NEW DELHI: Ground signals at the Line of Control do not hint of a ‘two-front war-like collusion between China and Pakistan. But Pakistan continues with its plan of pushing terrorists into Kashmir, said Army sources.
“There are no changes on the ground all along the LoC with Pakistan in terms of number of troops or the deployment pattern,” said a senior Army officer. He added that although the focus has been on the Ladakh sector and the deployments there have been increased in the wake of the stand-off with China, there has been no let-up in the Army’s alertness at the LoC because with winters approaching, Pakistan is expected to intensify its actions to support the infiltration of terrorists.
In recent years, senior military commanders have flagged a scenario of dealing with coordinated military action by Pakistan and China and have affirmed that India is prepared to handle such eventuality. The officer said the Army is working to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and ramp up emergency procurements.
Higher-calibre rifles
Focus is on acquiring special equipment which include the 7.22mm calibre assault rifles Seg Sauer replacing the old 5.56 mm calibre Insas rifles. Seg Sauer has higher calibre and longer range