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http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/massive-pak--army-build-up--along-loc-ib.html
Post-surgical strikes in September by the Indian Army against terrorist launch pads, there’s a “big build-up” of troops across the borders in Pakistan. And it’s not just at the International Border (IB) but also along the Line of Control (LoC).
An assessment of Pakistan’s military preparedness by the Defence establishment here suggests that the Pakistan Army has withdrawn 30,000 regular troops from trouble-torn Waziristan and deployed them at the LoC. These are besides the 25 per cent of its ‘reserve’ forces that have already been deployed along the IB and the LoC.
Also, Pakistan has kept the 15,000 troops, raised especially to guard the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in readiness even as the Pakistan Air Force has been put on high alert. It has even replaced the Pakistan Rangers at the IB with its regular Army troops. The Rangers are Pakistan’s equivalent of India’s paramilitary force Border Security Force and guards the IB.
The ramping up started days after the surgical strikes on September 29 in which seven terrorist launch pads were destroyed and at least 35-40 terrorists killed. Keen to take revenge, the Pakistan Army has since then gone on an overdrive stepping up ceasefire violations along the IB and LoC and redeploying its troops.
The Rawalpindi-based 10 Corps, which controls militancy in Kashmir, withdrew nearly 30,000 troops from restive Waziristan in the last few weeks, retrained them for a possible offensive against India and deployed them along the IB and LoC. These troops were engaged in anti-militancy operations in Waziristan for the last few years.
Similarly, the specially raised unit of nearly 15,000 troops for guarding the Economic Corridor besides ensuring safety of Chinese workforce engaged in building it, were also reoriented for war fighting, sources said here on Saturday.
Incidentally, parts of the CPEC became operational sometime back with more than 100 commercial trucks crisscrossing it through Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (Azad Kashmir).
The length of the corridor is more than 2,440 km and will ultimately link Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Xingjiang province in northwest China. The project was conceived by President Xi Jingping as part of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ policy.
India has raised objection to this project as it poses a threat to the country’s strategic interests and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised it during his meeting with the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou recently. Modi reportedly said terrorism was exported into India from the Azad Kashmir which is part of the Economic Corridor.
Elaborating upon the threat posed by the Economic Corridor in military terms, officials said in case of any exigency Pakistan will have unhindered logistical supply line right up to China for ferrying ammunition and weapons.
Apart from withdrawing troops from Waziristan and keeping the 15,000 troops guarding the Corridor in readiness, the Pakistan Army has also deployed 25 per cent of its ‘reserves’ in forward positions on the LOC and in some parts of the IB. This indicates that Pakistan is now adopting an aggressive posture by moving ahead on the LoC, officials said.
Moreover, the Pakistan Air Force is in full state of readiness and its commanders are reviewing serviceability and capabilities of its fighter jet fleet. Apart from this factor, Pakistan teams are reportedly in China for ensuring steady supply of ammunition for its air fleet, sources said.
Reports from Jammu said while on the surface a deceptive calm is prevailing along the IB and LoC for the last three days but behind the scenes, Pakistani troops are building up their defences especially after suffering extensive damages in the strong Indian retaliation.
Constant fear is lurking in the minds of border residents as they are still shying away from returning to their homes and hearths in the wake of heightened tensions. The BSF authorities are not prepared to take any chances and preventing local farmers from visiting their fields ahead of border fencing.
According to highly placed sources, “BSF jawans manning observation posts along the IB have been frequently spotting heavy movement of Pakistan Army regulars near damaged posts of Pakistan Rangers in the Sialkot sector.”
Presence of Pakistan Army regulars inside some of the forward posts targeting civilian areas inside the Indian territory has already been confirmed by the senior BSF officers camping across Jammu frontier.
BSF officers are also closely monitoring footage of highly sophisticated long range cameras and other surveillance devices fitted atop observation towers to read the movement of Pakistan Rangers on ground zero.
The invisible ‘third eye’ of the BSF is also keeping a tight vigil on the movement of the infiltrators close to the barbed wire fencing during the night. Hand-held thermal imagers (HHTI) and night vision devices (NVD) have been used by the BSF to track down the movement of heavily Army infiltrators.
BSF has so far claimed to have destroyed over two dozen border posts of Pakistan Rangers in strong retaliation. Similarly, Pakistan Army too has tasted the brunt of massive fire power of the Indian Army in Keran sector after a border action team (BAT) of Pakistan Army mutilated dead body of an Indian soldier killed in encounter near the LoC in Macchal sector.
Indian Army had even employed artillery guns to decimate Pakistan posts in that sector.
Anti-India offensive overdrive
30,000-40,000 Pakistan Army troops withdrawn from militancy-hit Waziristan and deployed along the LoC and IB
25 per cent of Pakistan Army reserves positioned on forward locations along the LoC and in some part of the IB
15,000 troops guarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor reoriented for an offensive action against India
Pakistan Air Force in full readiness
More than 90 ceasefire violations have taken place since the surgical strikes and there is no sign of let-up
Post-surgical strikes in September by the Indian Army against terrorist launch pads, there’s a “big build-up” of troops across the borders in Pakistan. And it’s not just at the International Border (IB) but also along the Line of Control (LoC).
An assessment of Pakistan’s military preparedness by the Defence establishment here suggests that the Pakistan Army has withdrawn 30,000 regular troops from trouble-torn Waziristan and deployed them at the LoC. These are besides the 25 per cent of its ‘reserve’ forces that have already been deployed along the IB and the LoC.
Also, Pakistan has kept the 15,000 troops, raised especially to guard the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in readiness even as the Pakistan Air Force has been put on high alert. It has even replaced the Pakistan Rangers at the IB with its regular Army troops. The Rangers are Pakistan’s equivalent of India’s paramilitary force Border Security Force and guards the IB.
The ramping up started days after the surgical strikes on September 29 in which seven terrorist launch pads were destroyed and at least 35-40 terrorists killed. Keen to take revenge, the Pakistan Army has since then gone on an overdrive stepping up ceasefire violations along the IB and LoC and redeploying its troops.
The Rawalpindi-based 10 Corps, which controls militancy in Kashmir, withdrew nearly 30,000 troops from restive Waziristan in the last few weeks, retrained them for a possible offensive against India and deployed them along the IB and LoC. These troops were engaged in anti-militancy operations in Waziristan for the last few years.
Similarly, the specially raised unit of nearly 15,000 troops for guarding the Economic Corridor besides ensuring safety of Chinese workforce engaged in building it, were also reoriented for war fighting, sources said here on Saturday.
Incidentally, parts of the CPEC became operational sometime back with more than 100 commercial trucks crisscrossing it through Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (Azad Kashmir).
The length of the corridor is more than 2,440 km and will ultimately link Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Xingjiang province in northwest China. The project was conceived by President Xi Jingping as part of China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ policy.
India has raised objection to this project as it poses a threat to the country’s strategic interests and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised it during his meeting with the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou recently. Modi reportedly said terrorism was exported into India from the Azad Kashmir which is part of the Economic Corridor.
Elaborating upon the threat posed by the Economic Corridor in military terms, officials said in case of any exigency Pakistan will have unhindered logistical supply line right up to China for ferrying ammunition and weapons.
Apart from withdrawing troops from Waziristan and keeping the 15,000 troops guarding the Corridor in readiness, the Pakistan Army has also deployed 25 per cent of its ‘reserves’ in forward positions on the LOC and in some parts of the IB. This indicates that Pakistan is now adopting an aggressive posture by moving ahead on the LoC, officials said.
Moreover, the Pakistan Air Force is in full state of readiness and its commanders are reviewing serviceability and capabilities of its fighter jet fleet. Apart from this factor, Pakistan teams are reportedly in China for ensuring steady supply of ammunition for its air fleet, sources said.
Reports from Jammu said while on the surface a deceptive calm is prevailing along the IB and LoC for the last three days but behind the scenes, Pakistani troops are building up their defences especially after suffering extensive damages in the strong Indian retaliation.
Constant fear is lurking in the minds of border residents as they are still shying away from returning to their homes and hearths in the wake of heightened tensions. The BSF authorities are not prepared to take any chances and preventing local farmers from visiting their fields ahead of border fencing.
According to highly placed sources, “BSF jawans manning observation posts along the IB have been frequently spotting heavy movement of Pakistan Army regulars near damaged posts of Pakistan Rangers in the Sialkot sector.”
Presence of Pakistan Army regulars inside some of the forward posts targeting civilian areas inside the Indian territory has already been confirmed by the senior BSF officers camping across Jammu frontier.
BSF officers are also closely monitoring footage of highly sophisticated long range cameras and other surveillance devices fitted atop observation towers to read the movement of Pakistan Rangers on ground zero.
The invisible ‘third eye’ of the BSF is also keeping a tight vigil on the movement of the infiltrators close to the barbed wire fencing during the night. Hand-held thermal imagers (HHTI) and night vision devices (NVD) have been used by the BSF to track down the movement of heavily Army infiltrators.
BSF has so far claimed to have destroyed over two dozen border posts of Pakistan Rangers in strong retaliation. Similarly, Pakistan Army too has tasted the brunt of massive fire power of the Indian Army in Keran sector after a border action team (BAT) of Pakistan Army mutilated dead body of an Indian soldier killed in encounter near the LoC in Macchal sector.
Indian Army had even employed artillery guns to decimate Pakistan posts in that sector.
Anti-India offensive overdrive
30,000-40,000 Pakistan Army troops withdrawn from militancy-hit Waziristan and deployed along the LoC and IB
25 per cent of Pakistan Army reserves positioned on forward locations along the LoC and in some part of the IB
15,000 troops guarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor reoriented for an offensive action against India
Pakistan Air Force in full readiness
More than 90 ceasefire violations have taken place since the surgical strikes and there is no sign of let-up
