
New Delhi- Indian Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Monday termed Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism and said that 80 percent of terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir are Pakistanis.
In his annual Army Day press conference, Gen Dwivedi blamed Pakistan for the violence levels in the Union Territory saying it was being orchestrated by the epicentre of terrorism that is Pakistan.
“If the support is not forthcoming the way India is looking at it, this kind of terrorist infiltration will continue to be there,” he said.
The Army Chief said that the parliamentary elections and assembly elections in the Union Territory both had nearly 60% voting.
“It means that the local population is going with peace. People of Jammu and Kashmir are shunning violence and violence is being orchestrated by our Western adversary Pakistan,” the chief said.
Gen Dwivedi, who has handled counter-terrorist operations very closely as Northern Army Commander, said that as of now, “We have inducted 15,000 additional troops in the year 2024 and that is why you will find that the violence level has gone down where we have been able to neutralize 73 terrorists out of which 60% were Pakistan terrorists.”
Acknowledging an increase in terrorist activities in north Kashmir and the Doda-Kishtwar belt, he said overall violence levels remain under control. He added that terror infrastructure remains intact, infiltration continues, and drones are increasingly being used to transfer narcotics.
General Dwivedi stressed the importance of the media in national security, saying, “Mass media and security forces have great potential to converge towards nation-building and national security.”
He concluded by reiterating his mission: “My mission is to ensure full-spectrum preparedness while transforming the Indian Army into an self-reliant, future-ready force, a key pillar of national security that contributes meaningfully to nation-building.”
‘LAC Situation Sensitive But Stable’
The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is sensitive but stable, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the Army Day, Gen Dwivedi said there is still a degree of standoff in the region and efforts are needed to restore trust between the Indian and the Chinese militaries.
The Army chief said patrolling and grazing in traditional areas have started in Depsang and Demchok, the two friction points from where the two sides have disengaged in October.
Our deployment is balanced and robust and we are capable of handling any situation, he said.
We are focusing on boosting border infrastructure and capability development, the Army chief said on the overall LAC situation.
On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it is overall under control and the ceasefire pact with Pakistani side is holding up along the Line of Control.
At the same time, the Army chief said infiltration attempts are continuing and the terror infrastructure on the Pakistani side is intact.
In the last year, 60 per cent of terrorists eliminated were of Pakistan origin, he said.
On Manipur, the Army chief said synergised efforts by security forces and proactive government initiatives have brought the situation in the state under control.
However, the Army chief said cyclic incidents of violence continue in Manipur and the armed forces are trying to bring peace to the region.
Along the Indo-Myanmar border, enhanced surveillance and domination is in place to deal with any possibility of spillover of situation in Myanmar, he said.
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