The success of India’s retaliation after the Pulwama attack achieved its agenda in the Kashmir valley. Lt Gen KJS Dhillon said that the Balakot strike against the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan resulted in a situation where no one is willing to take up the leadership of the outfit. The political will of the Modi government proceeding with the Balakot strike has been highly appreciated.
Gen KJS Dhillon said, “Forty-one militants were killed. Twenty-five of them belonged to JeM. Thirteen were foreign terrorists — Pakistanis and category A plus and above.” He further mentioned, “We targeted the JeM leadership and the situation now is such that there is no one willing to take up the leadership of the JeM in the valley. In spite of Pakistan’s best efforts, we will continue to suppress the JeM.” Lt Gen KJS Dhillon is the commander of the Srinagar based Chinar Corps.
DGP Dilbagh Singh of Kashmir said that 2018 and this year so far was successful in containing militancy in the valley, only few incidences, including Pulwama attack took place. The DGP said, “This year, stone-pelting and law and order engagements reduced drastically. We did face some law and order situations during counter-insurgency operations, but those have been fewer than before.”
This is a healthy sign according to the officials of the Indian Army. There has been a significant decline in the recruitment of local Kashmiri people in terror outfit after the crackdown by the Indian military forces. In a joint press conference, Lt Gen Dhillon said, “Recruitment of local youth continues to be low, it is a healthy sign. 272 terrorists were eliminated in the state during 2018 and a large number were apprehended.” It is an achievement according to the Lt Gen Dhillon, as the military has successfully curbed the terrorist operations in the valley. It is also credited to the strong policies implemented by the Modi Government.
On the suppression of Jaish-e-Mohammad, the army officer said, “We have targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leadership, the situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of JeM in the valley. Even after Pakistan’s best efforts, we will continue to suppress JeM, especially after Pulwama.”
It is evident that the terror outfits have got the message of the Indian armed forces loud and clear. They are now scared of even taking the leadership of their militant groups. The crackdown has filled the militants with fear. The Army is dedicatedly and vigorously working towards weeding out the presence of insurgents. Modi led government has backed the army and given them a free hand in achieving the goals of eliminating terror and ensuring peace in Kashmir Valley. A strong leader like Narendra Modi, an efficient government, and brave Indian armed forces are determined to eliminate terror emanating from the land of our venomous neighbour.