Army Chief General MM Naravane yesterday (29 May) said that the restoration of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in February has led to a significant drop in the infiltration of terrorists into India, reports Hindustan Times.

General Naravane also emphasised that the ceasefire has contributed to the overall sense of peace and well-being in border areas. He also said, “This is the first step on the long road to normalisation of ties between the two countries. We would like the ceasefire to continue. It has definitely led to an improvement in the security situation and benefited civilians living in forward areas.”

It should be noted that India and Pakistan had previously in 2003 agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC. However, the ceasefire was repeatedly violated. Thereafter, this year on 25 February, the armies from the two nations again announced a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that General Naravane also emphasised that even though the infiltration has come down, the counter-terrorism operations will continue. He said, “We have no reason to believe that terror infrastructure along the LoC has been dismantled by the Pakistan army.”