Rise in infiltration bids from across the border: Army Chief

CHENNAI - The Army Chief, General Vijay Kumar Singh, said on Saturday that violence has decreased in Jammu and Kashmir but infiltration bids from across the border have increased in the last two months.

“There has been decrease in violence level but in the last two months, approximately from these large agitations started in Kashmir, infiltration levels have increased, attempts have increased, the number of terrorists killed have increased and we are watching it carefully,” he said.

Singh further said that the Act, which gives the armed forces legal immunity, was only an enabling law and not an arbitrary one.

He said that the Government of India would decide whether to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir state or not.

“I think our leadership is considering it in all aspects. It is an enabling provision, it is not something which is arbitrary. I think the government will take a correct decision on what is to be done about it,” said Vijay Kumar Singh.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act empowers security forces to carry out operations, to shoot, arrest and search at will, once an area is declared disturbed. (ANI)