NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday linked the recent surge in terrorist activities in the Jammu region to the redeployment of army personnel to Ladakh amid Chinese incursions.
He suggested that this strategic shift had created an opening for terrorist groups to exploit the security gap.
Abdullah made these remarks while visiting the families of four police personnel—Balvinder Singh, Tariq Ahmad, Jaswant Singh and Jagbir Singh—who were killed in an encounter with infiltrating terrorists in Kathua’s Safiyan forest on Thursday.
Two Pakistani terrorists, suspected to be from the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were also killed in the operation.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said that encounters and terrorist attacks in the Jammu region were not new but had increased in the past three to four years. He attributed this to the military’s focus on countering Chinese incursions in Ladakh, which led to a redeployment of forces from Jammu.
“When the Chinese army made an incursion into Ladakh, we needed an army to counter them. We could not remove troops from the valley, so those stationed in Jammu were sent to Ladakh, resulting in a security gap. That shortage is now being addressed,” Abdullah stated.
Abdullah stressed the need for better counter-terror strategies to prevent further loss of life. “We must control militancy in such a way that the martyrdom of our people is stopped forever,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude for the bravery of the police officers who intercepted the terrorists before they could cause further harm. “Had they not been stopped, I don’t know what destruction they would have caused. Our four brave officers sacrificed their lives, but many innocent lives have been saved due to their timely action,” he said.
Conspiracies from across the border
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir deputy CM Surinder Choudhary blamed Pakistan for orchestrating violence in the region, urging it to abandon its “terrorism policy.”
“Conspiracies hatched from across the border are killing our children. They (Pakistan) have been doing this for over 30 years but have achieved nothing. J&K and India will not weaken due to terrorism,” Choudhary said during the wreath-laying ceremony of fallen head constable Jagbir Singh in Jammu, as per PTI.
Choudhary further said that terrorism could not break the unity of J&K’s diverse communities. “Our brotherhood is strong, and nobody can break it, whatever their efforts,” he asserted.
Security forces continue their search operation in the Kathua region to track and neutralise any remaining terrorists. Authorities have assured that the compensation cases for the slain officers will be addressed after Eid.
