Pakistan is making full efforts to infiltrate foreign terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir to hinder the progress being made in internal security conditions in the region, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said on Wednesday. He said that the army has tried to neutralise foreign terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch.

“The biggest thing is that Pakistan is trying to make efforts from its side to send foreign terrorists here, despite the better internal conditions (security situation), so that they can create some kind of obstacle.

“This is because of the progress that we are making in Jammu and Kashmir”, Lt Gen Dwivedi told reporters on the sidelines of the North Tech Symposium at the IIT campus at Jagti on the outskirts of Jammu city.

He said that in 2022, over 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. “Our efforts are to have 2.25 crore tourists this year. They are trying to stop this journey of progress but we will not allow them to succeed”, he said.

Replying to another question about the Rajouri encounter, he said that in Poonch and Rajouri “we tried to neutralise foreign terrorists on Line of Control (LoC) itself”.

“But some come via Punjab and Nepal by road and try to do some acts here. We have done good action in this recent encounter. One of jawan was martyred”, he said. On the death of sniffer dog Kent in gunfire by ultras, he said, “Our Kent laid down his life to save his handler. He attacked the terrorist by moving ahead first.” Two terrorists were killed in an encounter in the remote Narla village.

An Army personnel and Kent, a six-year-old female Labrador of the Army”s dog unit, also died while three security personnel were injured in the gunfight.