Situation along border with China to come up at PM's meeting with commanders

The situation along the borders with China and Pakistan and counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir are expected to be reviewed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the combined commanders' conference in New Delhi on Friday.

In the Combined Commanders' Conference, the Prime Minister will address the top brass of the armed forces during which a discussion is expected on the internal security situation, besides taking stock of the immediate and future challenges to be faced by the country, Defence Ministry officials said.

The meeting is also liekly to discuss the counter- insurgency operations of the Army and the possibility of increase in the influx of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas after the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014, they said.

The meeting may also take up the issue of handling of Keran operations in Jammu and Kashmir where the Army had claimed to have engaged a large group of terrorists but nobody was found there after 15 days. The Prime Minister had expressed concern over the incident to the Defence Ministry top brass last month.

The issue of creation of the Cyber, Space and Special Forces command is also expected to come up for discussion. The government may also take up the issue of sinking of the INS Sindhurakashak over which the Defence Minister has expressed his displeasure.

It is also likely to take up for discussion the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after the signing of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement with China to check flare-ups on the boundary.

The issue of shortage of ammunition and weapon systems with the Army may also come up for discussion.