Chennai, Dec 06: Army Chief Gen S Padmanabhan today said infiltration from across the border has been reduced by "about 43-44 per cent." "Reduced infiltration on the border for this part of the year is reasonably good." There was always some infiltration going on, he said, talking to reporters after inaugurating a new military building on the outskirts of the city. Asked to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin`s remarks on the continuance of cross-border terrorism, he said "whatever he (Putin) said he would have considered carefully. He is a leader of a great nation."
The army, the General said, was, however, taking "seriously" the view expressed by the Russian President.
He described as "rubbish` the description of occupancy of Indian territory by Pakistani soldiers in March this year, which became public only recently, as a "mini Kargil".
Explaining the circumstances, Gen Padmanabhan said "a patrol of about 15 Pakistani soldiers located themselves in an unoccupied area for about three days before they were discovered and thrown out."
To another query about the pull-back of heavy equipment from the forward areas, he said it was not a pull back but a redeployment and relocation of the equipment and forces. The exercise being carried out in the east, central and south of the forward areas would be completed by the end of December, he said. Bureau Report