Uri attack: Govt directs army to put five-layer grid to stop infiltration

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of the Uri attack, the Centre has directed security forces to put in place a five-layer anti-infiltration grid along the Line of Control and International Border with Pakistan.

Besides, the security forces have also been asked to identify and eliminate top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed operating in Kashmir “within a fixed deadline.’’

The directions came from home minister Rajnath Singh during a high-level meeting chaired by him on the prevailing security situation in the Valley along with national security advisor Ajit Doval and senior officials from various ministries and security agencies.

The home minister, sources said, stressed on the need to plug the loopholes along the LoC and the IB which were being used by the militants to sneak in.
Intelligence reports suggest that as many as 100 militants had managed to infiltrate from across the border following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in early July and overall also infiltration has shown a spiralling trend.

It is suspected that the four militants involved in the Uri Army camp attack had also managed to cross over just a few hours before the strike. Apart from strengthening the anti-infiltration mechanism, the Centre has also directed security forces, particularly the Army, to launch a massive offensive against militant commanders.

The security forces have been asked to zero down on these militants and eliminate them within a “specific time limit”. For this multiple agencies have been asked to pool in their resources and strengthen their Intelligence sharing and gathering mechanism.

Home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi flew down to Srinagar to ensure that the instructions are put into immediate effect. He also met senior security officials to review arrangements at vital installations and to ensure that following the Uri incident there is no spurt in incidents of stone-pelting.