STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Top Army officer in Kashmir valley Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai on Thursday said the Army would soon be “able to crack” encrypted handsets used by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking to reporters here, Lt Gen Ghai acknowledged that the ‘Ultra’ communication was giving secrecy to terror groups but he assured that the work is in progress.
“Ultra communication has various layers of encryption and while presently, it is affording them the secrecy that they want.
Ceasefire with Pakistan along LoC in J&K has sustained: GoC
Srinagar: The ceasefire with Pakistan along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has sustained and exceptions to any activity taken by the other side is brought to notice through various means, a top Army officer said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army’s strategic Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, said when the ceasefire understanding with Pakistan came into effect at the beginning of the year 2021, the situation was tenuous on the northern borders with China.
“At that point in time, the two countries (India and Pakistan) felt that it was the most apt thing to do so that tensions could be kept under the threshold as far as the LoC (Line of Control) and the western borders are concerned,” he said. Lt Gen Ghai, who is relinquishing the command of Chinar Corps, said the ceasefire understanding has sustained. “There are certain tenets to that ceasefire understanding which both the sides follow. Every now and then, if any of the sides has any exception to any activity that may have been prosecuted by the other side, those are brought to notice through various means.
“There are hotlines on the LoC. The two DGMOs (director generals of military operations) have access to each other and these are routinely brought to each other’s notice. But the ceasefire understanding has sustained and is still very much in force,” he added.
To a question about infiltration attempts being made along the LoC, the GoC said the counter-infiltration grid of the security forces is strong.
He said the fence or Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) is technically enabled and numerous attempts of infiltrations have been rendered unsuccessful.
“This year, we saw that there were people at the launchpads and we had intelligence inputs that they will make attempts, but there were not many attempts this summer. What is the reason for that?
“It is obvious that infiltration can occur at places other than the LoC and perhaps it has taken place this year. That is why the numbers have increased in Jammu region because the areas were always peaceful,” he said.
Acknowledging there might be some change in the strategy by the terrorists, Lt Gen Ghai said while the Army expected infiltration bids in the valley, “successful bids took place at other places”.
“That is why the numbers increased a bit. But I am confident that the number will decrease soon as we have been getting intelligence of those,” he added.
The Army officer said the force has the best possible technology which it has embraced in a very big manner and is being leveraged in its operations in the valley.
He said the training of an insurgent or a terrorist can only be as good. He can obviously not be as well-trained as the Indian Army soldier. He said at least he does not have any no doubt about that in his mind.
“You can hand them technology… For instance, I am carrying a rifle or an automatic weapon and you can give me a night sight and I can train you how to use it. So, obviously it is going to enhance the capability a little,” he said.
The Army officer said the Indian Army today has at its behest the best possible technology and 2024 is the year of technology absorption in the force.
“So we have embraced the technology in a very big manner and we are leveraging it all across our operations,” he added.
The GoC said it does not bother the forces whether the infiltrators could be Pakistani or foreign or that they could be very well trained or that they have great technology.
“That doesn’t bother us. We have to do counter terrorist operations and we will go after insurgents whatever shape or size or whatever manner of technology that they maybe utilising,” he said.
He said there could be 25-40 foreign terrorists active in the Pir Panjal area.
“We have seen in the recent operations in the Pir Panjal range that in all probability, they are Pakistani terrorists. While it is very difficult to say how many there are, they could be anything from 25-40,” he added.
However, he said it was not a huge number.
“If you add these suddenly to any area which is stable, then it takes some time for the counter terror grid to mature. I am sure that there will be successful operations in the time to come as we have started getting the intelligence,” he added.
“But I assure you that work is happening in that regard and soon we will be able to crack that encryption and I am hoping that will further dent the terrorist ecosystem network,” Lt Gen Ghai said in his last press conference as commander of valley-based XV Corps. He will soon take over as Director General of Military Operations.
To a question about weaponisation of mobile phones used in Israel-Lebanon conflict, he said, “Every time a new method is employed by any military force across the world, we always take note of it to draw our own lessons, so we can incorporate what is relevant to us and prepare our army and armed forces accordingly.”
“What we are seeing unfold in the Middle East is obviously a new trend, and the manner in which it is unfolding is quite unique. Therefore, we will certainly analyze it, put it into perspective, and come to conclusions about what is relevant and how it could affect us,” he added.
The Ultra sets were recovered from some of the encounters in the Kashmir valley.
These specialised handsets, exclusively customised by Chinese companies for the Pakistan army, were seized after a gunfight in the intervening night of July 17-18 last year in the Sindarah top area of Surankote in Jammu region’s Poonch district and on April 26 this year after an encounter at the Check Mohalla Nowpora area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The ‘Ultra’ handsets, which have also been found in the south of the Pir Panjal region, combine cell-phone capabilities with specialised radio equipment that does not rely on traditional mobile technologies like Global System for Mobile or Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA).
The device operates on radio waves for message transmission and reception, with each ‘Ultra’ set linked to a control station located across the border, officials said and added that the two ‘Ultra’ sets cannot reach out to each other.
They said Chinese satellites are used to carry these messages that are compressed to bytes from the handset to the master server in Pakistan for its onward transmission.
This is yet another help being extended by China to its key ally Pakistan, the officials said.