Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday convened a crucial meeting to address the “rising” terror-related incidents in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to officials, the meeting, held at South Block, was attended by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, and other heads of security-related agencies. The meeting comes just one day before Independence Day on August 15.
Meanwhile, security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have been placed on high alert to ensure public safety ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.
Earlier, on August 10, at least two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag.
The encounter occurred during a joint operation conducted by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF in the general area of Kokernag in Anantnag. Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during the operation. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Indian Army paid tribute to the two soldiers.
In recent months, Jammu has witnessed an increase in terror attacks, including an assault on an army convoy in Kathua and skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur.
In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reported to the Lok Sabha that 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year.
Last month, Indian Army troops foiled an attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machchal sector of Kupwara district. The skirmish resulted in the death of one Pakistani intruder and one Indian Army soldier, while four others, including a major-rank officer, were injured.