Will not allow revival of terrorism in Jammu region: Army

A top Army officer Saturday said it would not allow revival of terrorism in Jammu region including the mountainous Kishtwar district which witnessed killing of four persons including two senior leaders of BJP and RSS since November last year.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), White Knight Corps, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh also said the leadership of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit was eliminated in Kashmir valley post India's preemptive air strike on a JeM terror camp in Balakot on February 26 in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

"The incidents which had happened in Kishtwar in the recent past are a matter of concern. The enemy always try to revive terrorism in the areas where it was wiped out but we are ready for the challenge and I want to assure the people if the intention is to revive terrorism, we will not allow it to happen," the officer said interacting with media persons in Rajouri district.

The communally sensitive Kishtwar district, which was declared terrorism-free over a decade ago, was rattled by the killing of State Secretary of BJP Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar on November 1 last year, followed by assassination of senior RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard inside a health centre on Tuesday.

"The army has not left this area because the enemy can attempt again to revive terrorism but as long as we stand united, the Pakistan cannot succeed in its nefarious design," he aded.

On March 8, unidentified gunmen also snatched the service rifle of the personal security officer of district development commissioner, Kishtwar, fromhis rented accommodation in the town.

The officer said the intelligence agencies, police and army have worked out a strategy to deal with the arising situation.

"Some people were already rounded up (in connection with the latest killings) and the operation is going on there (Kishtwar) at the moment," he said.

When his attention was drawn to the weapon snatching incident, arrest of some militants with weapons and recovery of huge consignment of drugs in Poonch and Rajouri district last year, he said the enemy always try that there be no peace anywhere in the state.

"Such attempts continue on the part of the enemy but we failed their nefarious design with the joint efforts and the support of the public," he said.

Lt Gen Singh said those people who have seen Rajouri, Poonch and Surankote after 1990 know with everybody's cooperation --civilian population, local administration, police and army -- the terrorism was wiped out from the region.

"There is no place in the country which is free from the danger of an accident," he said and expressed satisfaction over the peaceful conclusion of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 11.

In response to another question about the status of militancy in the state post Balakote airstrike, he said "the leadership of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit was eliminated in the Kashmir valley."