Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Oct 25: A high-level joint security review meeting was held in Srinagar to review the possible fall-out of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel on J&K and to devise a strategy to counter the same.
A winter strategy to deal with challenges ahead was also finalised that entailed keeping a close watch on the J&K’s internal security situation and step up the guard along the LoC and International Border in view of possible rise in infiltration attempts before the snowfall blocks infiltration routes.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar in a statement, said that a security review meeting of top officials of the security agencies was held at the army’s 15 Corps headquarters in Srinagar. “The meeting was chaired by LG’s Advisor RR Bhatnagar and co-chaired by northern army commander Lt General Upendera Dwivedi,” he said.
Other top officials who participated in the meeting include army 15 Corps commander, DGP Dilbagh Singh, ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, Special DG (CID) R Swain and senior army officers.
“Numerous aspects related to the prevailing security situation in the Union Territory were discussed. Senior officials from military, state administration and security agencies attended the meeting. The situation in the Middle East was deliberated and various contingency scenarios dwelled on,” the Defence spokesman said, adding that “the nuances of security in the region in relation to the onset of the winter season also came up for discussion.”
Sources privy to the meeting said, Lt Governor’s advisor RR Bhatnagar stressed on the need of keeping the peace intact in J&K. The Advisor, as per sources, while hailing the great contribution of all security forces including police in maintaining the peaceful atmosphere by wiping out the terrorism, terrorists and acting swiftly against the anti-peace elements, emphasised on the officers to ensure peace remains unharmed.
A source said that the Advisor stated that there was a need to keep the peace intact while keeping a close watch on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. “We need to be cautious about the happenings in the Middle East and its possible fall-out on the J&K situation. Whatever be the case, we need to keep the peaceful atmosphere intact and our security agencies are fully capable to do so,” sources quoted the LG’s Advisor as having said.
They said that the northern army commander, while expressing his satisfaction over the prevailing peaceful atmosphere stated that “security grid will ensure that there is no negative fall-out of the middle-east crisis on J&K while keeping a close watch on the suspicious elements and trouble mongers.”
Sources said that it was unanimously decided to keep a close watch on all happenings and to ensure the situation remains under control on the LoC and IB besides hinterland as well.
The meeting, as per sources, discussed the winter security strategy that entailed possible rise in the infiltration attempts along the LoC ahead of the winter especially when snowfall blocks infiltration routes.
In the hinterland, it was decided that a close watch will be kept on the suspects and anti-peace elements to ensure that the peaceful situation is not disrupted. The officers of the security grid, however, vowed to take all possible steps to ensure peace remains intact in J&K. Narco-terror was also discussed in the meeting as per sources. They said that a consensus was evolved to curb the narco-terror and the channels used to promote the same in the UT.
