On Sunday, an Indian Army general stated that the security situation in Kashmir is under control and that there is nothing to be concerned about in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
“This is a playground, and I’m not going to make any remarks about the visitors. But keep in mind that the security situation in Kashmir is under our control, and there is no need to be concerned,” said Lieutenant General DP Pandey, the Army’s 15 Corps’ General Officer Commanding. He was responding to a question about potential security challenges in Kashmir following the Taliban’s takeover of the war-torn country.
The GOC’s remarks, made at a sporting event in Srinagar, come just days after India’s chief of defence staff, General Bipin Rawat, said that the country is concerned about terrorist activity in Afghanistan spilling over into India, but that contingency plans are in place to deal with such a scenario.
The remarks follow the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul, as Western troops exited the country after a 20-year presence.
Rawat, the country’s senior-most military commander, also said India anticipated the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan but its rapid pace was still a surprise. “From the Indian perspective, we were anticipating the Taliban takeover. We were concerned about terrorist activity overflowing into India from Afghanistan. Our contingency planning is ongoing, and we are prepared for that,” Rawat said.
The presence of between 7,000 and 10,000 terrorists from Pakistan-based groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in Afghanistan is the biggest concern for Indian security agencies now that the Taliban has firmly taken control of nearly all of Afghanistan. In the past, these organisations have targeted Indian interests in Afghanistan, and some, such as the LeT, have carried out attacks on Indian soil.
