Radicalisation, infiltration challenges for 2019: Lt Gen Ranbhir Singh

‘We are ready to deal with all challenges, our adversaries hatching conspiracies to disrupt peace in Kashmir’

Gulmarg: The northern army commander lieutenant general Ranbhir Singh today said that in 2018 they conducted a series of successful operation based on the tremendous flow of human intelligence and that “our adversaries will try to push infiltrators into this side and radicalise local youth through social media in 2019.”

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of snow festival at Gulmarg here, Singh who is the GoC-in-C of northern command based in Udhampur said that in 2018 army launched surgical operations resulting in the killing of 250 militants, while 50 militants surrendered and five were apprehended.

According to KNO correspondent, the army commander said: “Despite successful anti militancy operations and non initiation of combat operations(NICO) in the fasting month of Ramadan, the state witnessed successful and peaceful elections—local bodies and panchayat polls.” He said due to very robust counter infiltration grid at the loc, most of the infiltrators see either killed on the LoC on close to the fence.

Asked what would be the challenges for year 2019, he said that the adversaries will try to push in more militants and also radicalise the youth. “Radicalisation was there in 2018. And our adversaries will try to radicalise the youth in 2019 again.” He said social media continues to be a challenge and “steps are being taken to address the issues and challenges put forth by the social media.”(KNO)