Increase in seizure of arms from Afghanistan in Kashmir: Indian Army chief

New Delhi, April 29

Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said that there was an increase in seizure of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan in Kashmir.

General Naravane, who is all set to hang his boots on Sunday, said in a video released on Thursday: "There is definitely an increase in the number of weapons and other equipment, especially night-vision devices that we are capturing or unearthing, which definitely have come from Afghanistan."

He added that there were also apprehensions that after Taliban took over Afghanistan last August, the mujahideens would be pushed into Kashmir by Pakistan.

"When the previous Taliban regime was there in Afghanistan in the early 2000s, we did have a little spillover. We had captured or killed Afghan terrorists (in Kashmir) also," Naravane had said the recently-concluded Raisina Dialogue.

Last month, General Naravane and other top military commanders reviewed deployments of troops at Western and Northern borders.

The military top brass had discussed the force preparedness at Line of Actual Control with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan.

In February this year, General Naravane had said the situation in Afghanistan was again brought to focus, the use of proxies and non-state actors to decisive effects.

"These actors thrive on local conditions, innovatively exploit low cost options, to devastating impact and create conditions, that limit the full use of sophisticated capabilities, available to the state," he had said.

The concept of sequential, and often graduated application of force, has also undergone significant changes.

"I have said this in the past, and I wish to reiterate, that in future conflicts, the troops, on the forward-most locations, ready and in a high state of alertness, may not be the ones to face the first wave of aggression," he had added.