The Hindu
KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The Army is moving two brigades into Kashmir valley from outside the State to beef up forces in North Kashmir as tensions mount between India and Pakistan.
Informed sources told The Hindu that two brigades – one based in Udhampur and the other in Dharmsala – are being moved to North Kashmir to “fill gaps” along the Line of Control (LoC).
“This is partly to make up for some troops which were moved into South Kashmir recently and also further strengthen the counter infiltration grid for the coming months,” an Army officer told The Hindu on Wednesday.
The specific locations where they would be deployed is, however, not known.
The two brigades are part of a reserve division which has been alerted for possible movement in the wake of the attack on the Uri army camp on Sunday.
Officials said they were preparing for increased infiltration in the next couple of months.
A brigade typically has three units, each unit with over 800 fighting troops.
So on an average, two brigades would together bring over 5,000 troops extra into the Valley. The development comes days after the terror attack on the Army’s base in Uri sector in Kashmir which claimed the lives of 18 soldiers and another 30 were injured.
General alert
In the wake of the Uri attacks and two encounters at Uri and Nowgam continuing for the second day on Wednesday, about which the Army officials have been tight lipped, a general alert has been sounded across the LoC.
A general increase in movement on Pakistan side has been noticed, officials added.
“We have been asked to be on high alert though there are no specific instructions,” an officer said.
