NEW DELHI: Inclement weather, heavy snow accumulation, avalanches and landslides damage fencing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Monday.
The minister told the Lok Sabha that that infiltrators from Pakistan attempt to sneak into Kashmir during the winter months “when the fence is covered by snow or repair works are in progress.
“Additional pro-active measures in terms of surveillance and troop deployment are undertaken to foil infiltration attempts,” he said in a statement.
The minister added that repair works on damaged portions of the fence along the LoC — which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan — had already been completed.
SIACHEN OP HALTED
Meanwhile very adverse weather condition has hampered the operation to rescue a soldier, missing after a snow avalanche hit a post in Turtuk near the LoC at Siachen.
Seven soldiers of One Assam Regiment were buried alive under a huge snow avalanche when a forward post at a height of over 17000 feet came under an avalanche in Sub Sector Hanif, in Turtuk area of Siachen Sunday morning.
Bodies of six soldiers were recovered and seventh went missing.
The chances of his survival were very bleak as the area received fresh snowfall.
Defence ministry spokesman Lt Colonel J S Brar said this afternoon that the rescue operation had to be halted due to adverse weather conditions yesterday afternoon. “We could not start the operation even today as the weather was still bad,” he said, adding the rescue operation would be started as soon as the weather improves.
This was the first major tragedy during this winter. India and Pakistan Army had suffered causalities in Siachen, the highest battle field in the world, since both the countries decided to deploy troops there. On April 7, 2012, 135 Pakistani soldiers were buried alive in Siachen area on other side of the LoC. Agencies
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