Mehbooba Mufti meets Rajnath Singh over security situation in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed the prevailing situation in the state, an official said.

During the 20-minute meeting, the chief minister briefed the Union home minister on the security situation in the Valley as well as along the border with Pakistan, which has been witnessing heavy cross- border firing and continuous attempts of infiltration by militants.

The two leaders also discussed the ongoing peace initiatives being undertaken by the Centre's representative Dineshwar Sharma, the home ministry official said.

Yesterday, the General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt, had said a large number of terrorists were waiting at launching pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to cross over into Kashmir and ceasefire violations by Pakistan are also an attempt to push infiltrators.

There were 515 infiltration incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017 in which 75 militants were killed. In 2016, there were 454 cases of infiltration in which 45 militants were killed.

In January alone, eight civilians and six security personnel were killed and around 70 injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistan troops along Indo-Pak border in Jammu region.

Pakistani troops carried out intense shelling along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts and from across the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts from January 18 to 22.

While there were no ceasefire violations by Pakistan reported along the IB since January 22, intermittent shelling has taken place along the LoC.

The Home Ministry had yesterday said it will reimburse all the funds spent by the Jammu and Kashmir government to pay compensation for losses to the victims of cross-border firing.