Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir could escalate any time and the Army was ready for any “escalatory matrix.” His remarks came in the backdrop of a spurt in ceasefire violation by Pakistan since the dilution of Article 370 in August.
“The situation along the Line of Control can escalate any time. The Indian Army is always ready for escalatory matrix,” the Army Chief said.
Gen. Rawat played a key role in pursuing a policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross-border terrorism in the Valley after he took over as Army Chief on December 31, 2016.
He is due to retire on December 31 but it is likely that he will be appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff.
According to an assessment by the security forces, though the situation in the Valley has been brought under control to a large extent, a cautious approach is still required so that the atmosphere is not allowed to be vitiated.
Sources said the situation in Kashmir is being closely monitored and each and every step is being taken based on realistic assessment.
The sources said Pakistan’s Border Action Teams are attempting to target Indian security personnel on a regular basis along the LoC.
