Thursday, March 31 2005 13:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Describing threats by Pakistani militant groups to target the historic bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad as a "desperate and anti-people act", Army Chief J J Singh today (Mar 31, 2005) said, "Whatever is possible" would be done to provide security to passengers.

"It is a desperate and anti-people act, they have held out such threats during elections also," he said terming the proposed resumption of bus service from April seven as a key Confidence-Building Measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan.

"The State Government and the security forces are determined to make it a success. We will ensure that whatever is possible will be done to provide security," he said on the sidelines of a function of presentation of trophies to best marching contingents of this year.

Singh said that the public would defy the ban and threats, as it was an opportunity for divided families to come together.

The Army chief said his forces were conducting targeted anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir and this month, 63 militants had been killed with the loss of only one soldier.

Attributing the success of these operations to "high flow" of information from people, Singh said these were aimed at bringing down violence to "manageable levels."

Asked why these militant groups which comprised 90 per cent of Pakistani nationals were threatening to target the bus service cleared by Islamabad, Singh it appeared that they are "trying to show their independence".