Army ready to face any challenge including Al-Qaeda: Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh  

Srinagar: Lt General Gurmit Singh, General Officer Commanding (GoC) 15 Corps on Sunday claimed that army is well prepared to take any security challenge in Kashmir including the reports about al-Qaida possible intrusion in Kashmir.

According to KNS correspondent, while talking to reporters here on Sunday, Let gen Singh said that army is well prepared to take on any challenge posed by the ‘forces inimical to peace’.

The GoC 15 Corp informed the reporters that army has an effective counter-infiltration grid in place along the LoC besides having an excellent intelligence network and good synergy with J&K police and other security forces agencies to deal with any kind of challenge.

Giving details of the anti-militancy operations in 2013-14, Lt Gen Singh informed reporters that the corps commander said the security forces have managed to neutralize 61 militants during the period. He said that 41 militants including 17 from LeT and 11 from Hizbul Mujahideen were killed during this period. Lt Gen Singh said that 23 militants have been apprehended during this period. He said 365 weapons including 177 AK 47 rifles, 151 pistols besides nine IEDs have been recovered during the operations against militants in the valley.

He said that 40 militants were killed this year upto June which include both foreigners and local militants and 10 top militant leaders in five months as compared to 10 top militant leader killed in the year 2013.  He lauded army for its professionalism saying that in just 40 minutes operation it neutralized two militants who had snatched weapons from Jammu and Kashmir police constables.