Will Provide ‘Environmental Security’ during Elections: Gen Singh

RIYAZ UL KHALIQ

SRINAGAR

Gen Bikram Singh interacting with media at Chinar Corps’ Headquarters in Srinagar.

General Officer Commanding (GoC) 15 Chinar Corps, General Bikram Singh said that army will provide ‘environmental security’ during upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Kashmir scheduled in April-May and November-December this year, respectively.

“Our role and responsibility lies in providing environmental security during elections in valley,” General Bikram said while interacting with valley based media personnel in Chinar Corps’ Army Officers Institute in Badamibagh.

Referring to Keran operation, GoC said that it was an infiltration bid in a larger number.

“8 militants were killed while 59 fire arms were recovered from the encounter site. On our side there was no major damage except injuries to 6 personnel,” he said answering a question. “The militants tried to infiltrate in larger number at four points at a single point of time.”

Boiling down the speculation about the rise in militancy activities with the fall out of NATO forces from conflict torn Afghanistan, GoC said, “Let the challenge come, we will see it then.”

“We have many challenges but we are prepared,” he said.

The GoC claimed that army has succeeded in killing all the 11 militants in close synergy with J&K Police and other paramilitary forces who were active in the North and South of Kashmir. “11 militants were killed while 13 other were apprehended since 2014 January first,” GoC said, adding, “All the 13 apprehended militants are locals and they were given chance to surrender.”

Pertinently, a day after Kashmir journalist fraternity expressed their anguish over the army dictate of not wearing traditional dress Pheran; the GoC Bikram Singh held an informal interaction with them Saturday afternoon.

Army had asked those media personnel who wanted to attend the press briefing to send a scanned copy of their identity card and desisted journalists not to wear traditional Pheran. However during the meeting, General Bikram apologised for the advisory and said that Pheran is the traditional dress of Kashmir.

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