New Delhi, Aug 17 - The surge in infiltration bids from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir was 'disturbing', Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday while expressing satisfaction over the 'substantial improvement' in the situation in the state.

Addressing a meeting on internal security attended by chief ministers, the prime minister said the situation in Kashmir had seen 'a substantial improvement in the past few years'.

'Figures of violence have been steadily declining and are today at an all-time low. But there are some disturbing trends on the horizon,' he said.

'Levels of infiltration which had come down very substantially have seen a surge this year,' the prime minister said, adding the infiltrators were 'more battle-hardened, better equipped, and in possession of sophisticated communications'.

Manmohan Singh said terrorists had expanded their area of operation 'far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir' to 'all parts of our country'.