New Delhi: Army chief General Manoj Pande on Thursday said that Pakistan is trying to aggregate terrorism in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

India has increased its military deployment along the northern borders after the Galwan clashes

The sharp words of General Pande came while addressing an annual press conference in the national capital ahead of Indian Army Day.

“By 2003, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was reduced and peace was there till 2017-18. Because peace is coming in the Valley, our adversaries are encouraging proxy tanzeems (organisations) in the area. The Pakistan Army is trying to aggregate terrorism in the Rajouri and Poonch area,” he said.

Notably, the area of Poonch and Rajouri has seen an increase in the cycle of terror activities. Last month, four soldiers were killed in Poonch district when terrorists targeted two Army vehicles.

During the press conference, the Army chief also presented a brief picture of the encounters in Jammu and Kashmir and added that 71 terrorists were neutralised by the security forces in the Union Territory, out of which 51 were killed only in the Kashmir valley.

During the press conference, Manoj Pande also spoke about the security situation along the northern borders of the country that borders China and said that the situation is “stable but sensitive”.

“Indian troops are maintaining a high state of preparedness to deal with any challenge. Our operational preparedness continues to be at a high level. Army is maintaining adequate reserves to confront any security challenge in the region,” he said.

“We continue to talk to find a resolution to address balance issues between the two sides. Operational preparedness is very high,” Pande added.

Notably, India has increased its military deployment along the northern borders after the Galwan clashes that occurred in May 2020.

In the press conference, he said that the situation along the India-Myanmar border is a matter of concern, further adding that it has resulted in the influx of 416 Myanmar nationals in Mizoram and Manipur.

General Pande further added that due to the prevailing situation, some insurgent groups are also trying to cross over to Manipur. “We are closely watching developments there,” he said.