Troops will stay for now: Antony

Defence Minister A K Antony on Sunday said any troop reduction would depend on threat levels coming down and security objectives and concerns being met. “I dream of returning the soldiers back to barracks. But for this we have to be convinced that threat levels are down. At such an appropriate time, we can consider pulling back troops,” he said.

The threat was still there and militant camps were still being run across the Line of Control, Antony told reporters after a security review of the country’s island territories in the face of increasing threat of terror strikes in the high seas. Antony is on a two-day visit here. He made it clear that any decision on troop pullout or reduction of forces would be taken only after assessments made by the armed forces and intelligence agencies. ”The situation forced us to send troops to the state. They will remain there as long as the situation so warrants,” he said.