No ‘major’ build-up at LoC but Pakistan pushing new Chinese-made assault rifles into Kashmir

Security forces have recovered EMEI Type 97 NSR rifles, manufactured by Chinese firm Norinco, which they believe were dropped into J&K through drones.

Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir | Representational image | PTI

New Delhi: Pakistani troops have not carried out any “unusual” or “major” build-up along the Line of Control (LoC), amid the ongoing tensions with China in Ladakh, but have made attempts to arm terrorists operating in Kashmir with Chinese-made assault rifles, ThePrint has learnt.

Top government sources told ThePrint that the Army is keeping a strict vigil at the LoC and also on the movement of the Pakistani Army.

“There has not been any major build-up of troops. They at present have about 2-3 extra battalions but that is normal activity during changeover,” a source said. “There is no major build-up at the LoC or along the border with Pakistan.” 

The source added that a strict vigil is being maintained and the multi-tier set-up at the LoC has been beefed up by India with the addition of two to three extra battalions. 

“The focus of Pakistan right now is to push additional terrorists, arms and ammunition into Kashmir ahead of the winters. We are adequately deployed for the same,” the source said, adding that terrorism in Kashmir remains a constant worry.

ThePrint had earlier reported that India has put its entire military on operational alert and was preparing for a collusive threat from Pakistan and China. 

Pak’s ISI looking to flood J&K with weapons

The sources in the security establishment also said Pakistan’s infamous intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), has been instructed to flood Jammu and Kashmir with weapons. 

The plan is to push in maximum infiltrators along with weapons into Kashmir before the onset of winters, when the undergrowth and bushes in most infiltration-prone areas will die down due to dew and snowfall, the sources said.

They added that the new modus operandi is to infiltrate terrorists without weapons and then send them arms and ammunition through drones. Security forces have recovered a large number of weapons through the year, which includes Chinese-made rifles and those dropped through drones (see box).  

Illustration: Ramandeep Kaur

Sources said the ISI has procured a sizable number of ‘Hexacopters’ from a Chinese firm associated with the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under the ruse of protecting CPEC assets.

“Recently, Indian security forces have also made multiple recoveries of EMEI Type 97 NSR rifles manufactured by Norinco company of China,” a second source said. “This is a standard issue to Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and also gifted to Pakistan Frontier Force as part of CPEC cooperation.”