Author: Statesman News Service
Publication: The Statesman
Date: October 9, 2001
Foreign mercenaries are still active
in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Instead of violence coming down post 11
September, it has marginally increased, according to the Army.
An estimated figure of 3,000-3,200
foreign mercenaries is continuing with their activities on the north-south
Pir Panjal. Responding to questions along with the Ministry of External
Affairs spokesperson, Nirupama Rao, at a joint briefing, Major General
Richard Khare from the Army headquarters said that even though there have
been successes in eliminating a large number of foreign mercenaries, a
balancing figure is still maintained by the terrorist outfits.
He said that immediately after the
WTC attack, uncertainty did prevail on terrorist activity but it is back
in shape again. Earlier, there had been reports that several terrorists
camps were closed down in Jammu and Kashmir because the scene had turned
to Afghanistan.
However, Maj Gen Khare who has been
to the region recently, said: "The picture hasn't changed. ... Attacks
and infiltration still continue. There has been no perceptible difference
in their operations."
According to him, the reason for
terrorist outfits being able to maintain a balancing figure of foreign
mercenaries is because infiltration is still continuing unhindered "These
terrorists don't belong to the local soil," he said.
When asked about the options left
with the government in attacking terrorists' camps in Pakistan occupied
Kashmir, the Army General said that such options were there earlier too,
but "it depends on the mandate", implying that it was a political decision.
The security forces on the other
hand have been totally vigilant on the Indo-Pak border. "Number of eliminated
foreign and local terrorists remain at the same peak ... may be 25 per
cent more than last year."
Mrs Rao said, "India has been saying
that cross border terrorism is being sponsored from 'Pakistan. Our concerns
on cross border terrorism have not been diluted in the post-11 September
scenario." Asserting that the world was "far more sensitive" to global
terrorism, the spokesperson said though the US was focussed on Osama Bin
Laden and his Al-Qaida network in phase I of its operations, it had not
excluded dealing with the scourge elsewhere.
Asked about the assessment of damage
to the Taliban forces after the US strikes, Maj Gen Khare said going by
the type of bombardment carried out, the damage to the command could be
'substantive' and it could be reasonably assumed that damage in terms of
command and communication had been done.
