Defence
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande.
At the annual press conference ahead of Army Day, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande has expressed concern over the situation at the India-Myanmar border and highlighted ongoing terrorist activities in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by Hindustan Times.
General Pande provided insights into the prevailing security scenarios along India's borders, emphasising that the situation at the northern border, particularly in Ladakh, is currently stable yet sensitive.
Addressing the three-year-long confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, General Pande stated, “We continue to talk both at the military and diplomatic levels, as per established protocols and procedures to find a resolution to the balance issues which remain.”
General Pande assured that India's operational preparedness remains high, with a robust and balanced deployment of forces.
Regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he highlighted the continued adherence to the ceasefire along the Line of Control and the Indian Army's success in thwarting infiltration attempts with a strong anti-drone mechanism.
However, General Pande also observed, “The situation and terrorist activities in Rajouri and Poonch in the last 5-6 months have been an issue of concern to us. By 2003, terrorism in this area was fully disseminated and peace was established there till 2017-18. Because peace is coming in the valley, our adversaries are encouraging proxy tanzeems in the area,” in an obvious reference to Pakistan.
Turning to the India-Myanmar border, General Pande highlighted the impact of activities by the Myanmar army and ethnic armed organisations.
He reported instances of Myanmar army personnel and Bhutanese civilians seeking shelter in Indian territories.
The COAS expressed vigilance over insurgent groups attempting to cross the border into the Indian state of Manipur, with plans to strengthen the border fence.
In response to emerging challenges, General Pande stated, “We have restructured our artillery unit. We also have restructured units of electronic warfare and electronic intelligence. We have started the process of reducing animals in our animal transport units and they are being replaced by drones... We have made a plan and optimise our strength by significant numbers and by 2027 we will achieve an optimisation of one lakh numbers. We have given the proposal to the government."
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest