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Residents of 17 villages near LoC to be shifted

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Residents of 17 villages along the Line of Control in Jammu region are to be shifted to the interiors to enable the army better access to the LoC. India will also resume fencing the international border with Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, army commander of Jammu Lt. General A S Khanna disclosed that the army has already made a request to the state government in this regard.

The commander of 16 Corps said that the shifting of the 17 villages would provide troops access to the LoC beyond the 'defence position of the army'.

In Kashmir valley, the state government has ordered construction of underground bunkers for the people living near the LoC - in Uri, Karnah and Keran areas - bowing in to the residents' demand.

Earlier, the government had constructed over 1000 bunkers, for the local population, in the Kargil area.

Regarding border fencing, Gen Khanna said, "Border Security Force will soon begin fencing the international border between Punjab and Chicken Neck area from where the LoC begins."

In 1994, when fencing work was taken up by India Pakistan troops resorted to intense firing, forcing the work to be discontinued.

Gen Khanna admitted that the number of militants in the Jammu region has doubled in the past one year. "Last year, the number was between 500 to 600. But this year the number has doubled indicating that Pakistan was stepping up militancy in Jammu region compared to the valley where the insurgency first erupted," he said.

So far, the army has killed 550 militants in Jammu region this year compared to 458 last year.

Meanwhile, in a fierce gun battle, a militant of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba was killed at Sangrama Sopore in northern Baramulla district.

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