Ahead of the G20 meeting in Kashmir later this month, the Northern Command of the Army held drills against any possible chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack.

The Northern Command that guards the Line of Control (LOC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Pakistan and China along the two UTs, in a tweet said that the ‘drills were carried out with the aim to react to challenges in the operational spectrum.”

The strategic military command said that “Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear defensive drills consisting contamination avoidance & weapons of mass destruction mitigation were carried out by Northern Command with an aim to react to challenges in the operational spectrum.”

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had, after the recent meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa, issued a veiled threat to India on the issue of holding a G20 meeting in Kashmir.

He told reporters after returning to Pakistan that “such a response will be given that it will be remembered.” He, however, later backed out of the statement. Pakistan has already lodged a protest against India holding the G20 meetings in Kashmir and Ladakh.

The security forces are not leaving anything to chance during the prestigious G20 meet in Srinagar. Pakistani drones have during the recent past dropped sticky bombs and grenades for terrorists hiding in J&K. A couple of infiltration attempts through the LoC have also been made by terrorists and most of these were foiled by the Army.

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday reviewed the security scenario ahead of the G20 tourism group meeting in Srinagar. Top brass of the Army, intelligence agencies and J&K Police participated in the meeting. Director of Intelligence Bureau, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh, ADGPs of Jammu and the Kashmir ranges, GOC of Army’s Nagrota based 16 Corps (Jammu) and GOC of the Srinagar based 15 Corps attended the security review meeting.

Fool-proof security arrangements for the G20 meet were discussed in the backdrop of the recent terrorist attacks in Rajouri and Poonch where 10 Army soldiers were killed.

The Army and other security forces have already been ordered to be watchful against vehicle-borne IED (VBIED), suicide, sticky bomb, drone and grenade attacks by terrorists. Aerial surveillance will be maintained at the venue of the meeting and also the hotels where the participants will reside. MARCOS of the Indian Navy will dominate all water-bodies in Srinagar.

The Northern Army Commander Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi is monitoring the situation in J&K and Ladakh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during his recent visit here along with the Army Chief General Manoj Pande reviewed the security scenario in J&K, especially in the Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Officers of  Army’s White Knight Corps held a security review meeting with the J&K Police at Dharmund in Batote on the Jammu-Srinagar highway to coordinate smooth and synergised operations especially with respect to the ongoing security situation in the Jammu Region and security of the highway.

The Srinagar based Chinar Corps on Wednesday said that during the joint Operations with police at Chotipura & Burihalan in south Kashmir’s Shopian, two terrorists were apprehended and a pistol, IED and other war-like stores were recovered from them. A day earlier, a 6 kg IED was recovered in Pulwama.