Srinagar, KMW News: About 100 trained militants are waiting to infiltrate into this side from the Pakistan-administered-Kashmir (PaK), where training camps are still operating.
A defence ministry spokesman said intelligence inputs of various intelligence agencies indicated presence of an additional 100 militants across the Line of Control (LoC) and poised for infiltration.
He said in the past it was observed that the infiltration by militants decreases with onset of winter, when the routes gets closed due to heavy snowfall.
But, he said, due to no or less snowfall this winter the routes are still open and militants, waiting in launch pads near the LoC, would made attempts to infiltrate in the coming few months.
This, the spokesman said, was amply clarified by General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps Lt General S A Hasnain at Uri on December 14.
He said the Army, throughout 2011, has maintained that there has been very little successful infiltration, barring a few incidents, although the threat posed by militants positioned in launch pads across the border, to infiltrate were there and still exists.
Elimination of large number of militants, including top commanders, in the hinterland this year has created a vacuum in the militant leadership and their effectiveness.
Therefore, he said, there is pressure on militants in the training camps and launch pads in PaK to infiltrate into this side.
However, the spokesman rejected the reports, circulated by a national news agency, trying to relate the infiltration with the issue of revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
He said the reports appears to be an attempt by inimical elements, probably, from across the LoC, to drive a wedge between the Army and other paramilitary forces and the State Government with a view to breaking the excellent synergy which has been generated throughout 2011.
The Army is capable of working within the parameters of difference of opinion as per democratic norms.
He said the inimical and anti-national forces behind the nefarious designs will not succeed in their endeavours.
It is therefore, he said, incorrect to surmise that infiltration has taken place or is related to issue of revocation of AFSPA.
Infiltration attempts, however, are likely to continue to take place due to late onset of winter, he said adding the Army Counter Infiltration grid will continue to remain strong and adequately backed up by a technically sound and tested footprint to deny any infiltration attempts.
