Jammu and Kashmir Floods: Damage to Border Fencing Raises Security Concerns

Reasi, Jammu: Pulling out thousands of people stranded because of the floods in the Valley or reaching out to hundreds of villages in Poonch, Rajouri and Reasi sectors in Jammu is only half the job done for the armed forces. Major breaches in the fence along the Line of Control (LoC) - the de-facto border - caused by the floods in the state is fast becoming a security nightmare for the Indian military.

Speaking to NDTV, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda said, "The fence has been breached in the Akhnoor sector. Not only that, critical counter-insurgency positions of the Rashtriya Rifles in the Valley have been damaged or destroyed."

The Lt Gen said about 40 kilometres of the fence along the Indo-Pak border in Akhnoor sector which overlooks Sialkot in Pakistan has been damaged. He says engineering columns have already been rushed but it will take at least a fortnight to put the fence back - the main barrier to infiltrating terrorists.

Not only that, sensors along the LoC bunkers have also been destroyed.

Perhaps, what is even more worrisome is that several positions and installations for counter-insurgency operations in the Valley have also been either destroyed or severely damaged.

Lt Gen Hooda told NDTV that several positions of the Rashtriya Rifles - the main counter-insurgency unit of the Indian Army - in the Valley have been damaged.

He was also candid enough to accept that the Indian Army was better prepared on the border than it was in the Valley to deal with terrorists. He said the Army's focus would be counter-insurgency operations in the Valley and accepted that the level of preparedness of the Indian Army to deal with terror threats had taken a hit.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is meant to vote for its next government later this year.

Moreover, the Lt General accepted that there were clear indications that terrorists holed up on the other side of the border would try to exploit the situation. "As our focus shifts to rescue and relief, there will be attempts made by terrorists to carry out attacks."