The Centre told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that there have been 99 attacks by terrorists on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir and 32 in the Northeastern states since 2016, PTI reported.

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said there were 19 incidents of attacks on the Army by terrorists in 2016, 23 in 2017, 54 in 2018 and 13 until July 7, 2019. In Northeastern states, the Army reported six such attacks in 2016, 10 in 2017, 11 in 2018 and five until July 2019, he added.

“One incident of a terrorist attack on the Air Force took place on the intervening night of January 1-2, 2016 at Air Force Station Pathankot,” Naik said. “No Indian naval ship or establishment has been attacked during the last three years.”

Naik said the Ministry of Defence constituted a committee to look into the Pathankot attack. “Based on the committee’s recommendations, various measures including strengthening of physical security through layered defence and perimeter security, deployment of Quick Reaction Teams, use of airborne platforms for security of defence installations have been instituted,” he said. “Periodical review of the security arrangements based on threat assessment to devise suitable measures are adopted to counter such threats.”

In response to a question, Naik said the Indian Air Force has enough number of pilots to meet present operational requirements.

In response to another question on a fire during the construction of a warship, Naik said the incident took place on board Yard 12704 at Deck 30 on June 21 when a contractor’s worker was carrying out tank cleaning. One person was killed in the incident, the minister said.

“A committee has been constituted to investigate the cause of fire,” the minister added. “Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire might have been caused due to short-circuit in the contractor’s portable electric grinding machine that was being used for tank cleaning work.”