New Delhi- The fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase and recent incidents show that terrorism has been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
During a high-level meeting at the North Block here to review the security situation in the Union Territory in the wake of recent terrorist attacks there, he also directed security agencies to implement area domination and zero-terror plans in the Jammu division like they did in Kashmir to achieve success.
The government is determined to root out terrorism, Shah asserted.
The meeting with top security officials was convened to review the situation in the wake of the attacks in the Union Territory’s Jammu region, officials said.
Home Minister Shah directed the security agencies to work on a mission mode and ensure quick response in a coordinated manner.
He also stressed on seamless coordination among security agencies, identifying vulnerable areas and addressing security concerns in these areas.
Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the government will leave no stone unturned to root out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir.
The efforts of the government of India have yielded great positive results in the Kashmir Valley with significant reduction in terror-related incidents, he said.
Shah noted that the improvement in the law and order situation is reflected in the record flow of tourists in the Kashmir Valley.
The home minister appreciated the security agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir administration for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections, which witnessed record voter turnout in the Union Territory.
He directed the agencies to replicate in the Jammu division the successes achieved in the Kashmir Valley through the area domination plan and the zero-terror plan, the officials said.
The fight against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is in its decisive phase and the recent incidents show that terrorism has been forced to shrink from highly organised acts of violence to a mere proxy war, the minister said.
In a subsequent meeting, Shah also reviewed the preparations for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin on June 29.
The officials said the home minister was given a thorough briefing on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces are expected to intensify counter-terrorism operations in the coming days.
The operations against terrorists will be carried out in line with the prime minister’s directive, they said.
Shah presided over the high-level meeting, three days after Prime Minister Modi held a similar meeting where he directed officials to deploy the “full spectrum of counter-terror capabilities” after a spate of terror incidents, including an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of the Jammu region.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Army Chief-designate Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, CRPF Director General Anish Dayal Singh, BSF Director General Nitin Agarwal, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R R Swain and other top security officials attended the meeting.
In a meeting on Friday last, Shah was briefed about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the deployment of forces along the International Border and the Line of Control, infiltration attempts, the status of ongoing anti-terror operations and the strength of terrorists operating in the Union Territory, sources said.
Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir within four days last week, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan and leaving seven security personnel and several others injured.
Two suspected Pakistani terrorists were also killed in an encounter with security forces in Kathua district.
On June 9, terrorists opened fire on a 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus, ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.
On June 11, terrorists fired at a joint checkpost of the Rashtriya Rifles and police at Chattergalla in Bhaderwah while a search party in the Gandoh area of Doda district was attacked on June 12, resulting in injuries to seven security personnel, including a policeman.
Prime Minister Modi spoke to the home minister on June 13, and discussed the deployment of security forces and counter-terror operations.
Modi also spoke to the Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor as well and took stock of the situation in the Union Territory.
Sinha briefed him on the efforts being undertaken by the local administration. In the meeting, the prime minister was given a full overview of the security-related situation in the region and was apprised of the counter-terror efforts being undertaken.
The attacks took place ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, which will begin on June 29 and will continue till August 19. The Amarnath pilgrims travel through two routes — Baltal and Pahalgam — in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said last year over 4.28 lakh people visited the shrine and the figure could go up to five lakh this time.
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