Security situation improving in J&K: Army chief

Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Saturday the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is improving and the recent action by militants only proves their frustration.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of a function in which he presented the President's Standard to 47 Armoured Regiment here, the army chief said radicalization is a global phenomenon whose spread in Jammu and Kashmir is being addressed seriously.

"Efforts are on to wean away youth from radicalization in Kashmir which is being spread through social media sites", he said.

He said the army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police were trying to wean away the youth from radicalization in the state.

Replying to a question on ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC), General Rawat said the launching pads of terrorists are active across the border as Pakistan has not dismantled the terror infrastructure there.

Asked about the possibility of a dialogue with the separatists, General Rawat said: "The army has a task to perform and we are performing that task in Jammu and Kashmir."

"Other decisions like talks etc will have to be taken politically."

Asked about the raids on separatists by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the army chief said whatever success these raids have achieved would be known in the future.

The army chief brushed aside questions about braid chopping in Kashmir saying this was a routine matter and the civil administration is supposed to deal with it.

--IANS

sq/pgh/vm