More terrorists being neutralised, says Manohar Parrikar

BENGALURU: Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar today said the increased number of terrorist encounters show that the country's intelligence has "increased" and counter terrorist network is "tightening".

"More encounters means - we are neutralising more, our intelligence has increased, our counter terrorist network is now tightening up," he told reporters here.

He said, "If you see the ratio of security forces martyrdom... To terrorists deaths (it) is now in the favour of the security forces at the rate of 1:4.3/4.4."

The number of terrorists' neutralised was more than 50 now, whereas only 12 security forces personnel had lost their lives.

Stating that the loss of security forces should further reduce, he said "our efforts are towards it."

Parrikar was responding to a question on whether the increased number of terror encounters was because of increased vigil or more attempts of infiltration.

The Defence Minister was here to witness the inaugural flight of India's indigenous basic trainer aircraft, Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) designed and developed by HAL here.

A militant was killed today in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Pointing out that most incidents of terror infiltration and encounters take place before winter, Parikkar said either they were not noted earlier or probably they were not taken "very seriously".

Claiming that the country used to lose almost a soldier for a terrorist, Parrikar said "now you see yesterday's report. Four terrorists on the border trying to infiltrate were killed. In three days, two attempts have been neutralised."

Four militants and a soldier were killed as the Army yesterday foiled an infiltration bid, the second such attempt in three days, in Tangdhar sector near the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Calling incidents of Chinese incursion on the Indian side of the border as "transgression", Parrikar said "these things happen because of some historical problem between countries on perceived Line of Control."

He said, "Whenever they have transgressed we have either stopped them and asked them to go back or raised the issue with them. But I can tell you the overall transgression that means violation of our line of control perception has reduced a lot compared to earlier."

"This is mainly because we have increased the number of interaction points at the border at senior and local commander level," the Defence Minister said.

"They interact with each other to clarify and the issues are sorted out. So the number has come down," he added.

Parikkar said even in the latest incident, we "pushed" them back and had a meeting with them and clarified the issue.

"It is almost an annual ritual that happens, but we push them back every time such attempts are made," he added.

In another incident of Chinese incursion, about 250 China's Peoples Liberation Army soldiers had entered Arunachal Pradesh's east district of Kameng last week.

The "temporary transgression" by the Chinese patrolling party took place in Yangste, East Kameng district on June 9. However the Chinese soldiers went back within hours.