Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan on Monday arrived here to review the security situation and operational preparedness of troops in Jammu and Kashmir where Pakistan backed terrorists attacked civilians, Army and paramilitary forces personnel in multiple strikes last week.
General Chauhan’s visit comes a day after the Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in J&K ahead of the Amarnath Yatra which begins on 29 June.
The CDS arrived at the Nagrota based White Knight Corps (16 Corps) headquarters where he reviewed the security scenario and was also briefed by top officers.
Sources said that the CDS also discussed the strategy for eliminating the terrorists who have so far struck in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Reading, Udhampur and Kathua districts.
The 16 Corps looks after the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri and Poonch districts and is also deployed in the hinterland of Doda, Kishtwar, Reading, Udhampur districts of the Jammu division.
The CDS is also learnt to have asked the troops to remain alert as terrorists have changed their strategy and were now attacking in the Jammu region instead of the Kashmir valley.
Before coming here, the CDS visited the Chinar Corps in Srinagar on Sunday and addressed top officers wherein he stressed for jointness among the armed forces.
He appreciated the high standards of professionalism of various Formations and Units of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The visit of the CDS comes after a series of deadly attacks that have shaken the Jammu region, leaving 12 people dead, including a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan and nine pilgrims. More than 50 people were injured.
Terrorists struck at four places in the Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir within four days last week, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan. Seven security forces personnel and several others were injured.
Two Pakistani terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kathua district.
On June 9, terrorists opened fire on a bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from the Shiv Khori temple. The bus plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire, killing nine people and injuring 41 others.
On June 11, terrorists fired at a joint check post of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and police at Chattergalla in Bhaderwah while a search party in the Gandoh area of Doda district was attacked on 12 June, resulting in injuries to seven security personnel, including a policeman. In Doda district, terrorists ambushed a convoy of security personnel, leaving at least five soldiers and a policeman injured.