Despite heavy snow, Army not to move troop from LoC

In spite of heavy snowfall and avalanches on the Line of Control...

In spite of heavy snowfall and avalanches on the Line of Control (LoC) and on ridgelines bordering Pakistan, the Army has ruled out withdrawal of troops from the isolated places in any part of Kashmir, especially on the LoC.

“Despite heavy snowfall in the high altitude areas of the Valley, troops are not going to vacate from any of the bunkers or posts on the Line of Control,” said Defence spokesman Anil Kumar Mathur. “The Army has not stopped operational movement in any part of Kashmir,” he said. In the past three weeks, 10 soldiers and nine porters were killed on the LoC in Uri and Machil sectors of north Kashmir. Bodies of three soldiers, including an officer and eight porters who were swept away by avalanches and snow storm at Rajput tekri in Uri, are yet to be retrieved.

Around 15 to 20 feet of snow has accumulated at many places on the LoC and high-altitude belts. After the death of soldiers and porters on the LoC, there were reports that Army is planning to re-adjust some of its counter-insurgency bunkers or posts in the high-altitude areas near the LoC in north Kashmir. The Army in Srinagar, however, termed all such reports baseless. Mathur said not a single bunker or place had been vacated by the troops following snowfall, avalanches or snowstorms. “Our troops manning the LoC are fully equipped and can remain there for months,” he said, adding Army’s bunkers and units on the LoC were well protected from snow storms and avalanches. “Tactically and topographically, our posts are situated in such a manner that avalanches can’t cause damage to the posts or bunkers.” Mathur said all the posts on the LoC and on the ridgelines were self-contained in every respect. “Only we are issuing alerts to the troops from any weather problems and avalanches,” he said.

On Wednesday, troops were asked by their seniors to restrain their movement following heavy snowfall in Kashmir. Since Wednesday morning one soldier and a porter had lost their lives in north Kashmir by fresh snowfall. “Two Army personnel including a porter were killed in Kupwara,” Mathur said. He added that the formation commanders had already been told to suspend movement of local porters on the LoC.