Jammu and Kashmir [Images] on Thursday demanded that the strength of its police be "tripled" in order to take complete control of militancy in the state, which has become a gateway for terrorists to carry out attacks in other parts of the country.

In his speech at the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security, Chief Minister Ghulam [Images] Nabi Azad said the police in the state was "heroic" in its fight against militancy.

"However, sooner or later the security forces will have to replaced by the local police. As and when this happens the strength of the police force will need to be tripled from its present level," Azad said.

Azad said the "principal target" of the "hostile neighbour" was not the state of Jammu and Kashmir alone.

"The principle target is our entire country. The terrorist cadres being infiltrated into our side are using Jammu and Kashmir as a gateway for carrying out terrorist activities across the country," he said.

Though maximum number of the infiltrators were nabbed or killed at the border, "a few do manage to slip through and create terrorist incidents in other parts of the country".

Making an immediate demand for raising of 15 battalions (nearly 15,000 personnel), Azad said, "The Jammu and Kashmir police is going to remain in the vanguard of the country's war against terrorism. Therefore, it must be both strengthened and modernised."

He also demanded at least two helicopters for carrying security personnel on operations and for casualty evacuation.