Nuances of Doda terror strike and the way forward

“We have lost too many soldiers in J&K: 3598 to be precise (since the year 2000) and the sole driving force behind their supreme sacrifice has been patriotism.”

Four Indian Army personnel from 10 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), including a Captain, succumbed to injuries following a gunfight with terrorists on July 16. The gunfight broke out at Bhadarwah in the Doda district of J&K. Kashmir Tigers, a proxy outfit of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility.

Doda: An Army personnel stands guard at a forest area near the encounter site, in Desa village of Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Four Army personnel, including a captain, were killed in a terrorist encounter in the area on Monday night. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

The incident is a continuation of terror-related violence, which has spread over the entire Jammu region to include the Chenab valley comprising Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, border districts of Rajauri and Poonch and Kathua, located at the southern extreme of the region. The Doda attack is the latest in over 10 such incidents in little more than two months, reinforcing the fact that the centre of gravity vis-a-vis terrorism has shifted from Kashmir to Jammu.

Defence analysts and experts see new and disturbing trends emerging from these attacks. Firstly, the success story of counter-terror operations in Kashmir has compelled the Pakistan-backed terror infrastructure to switch over to Jammu from Kashmir; secondly, the twin messaging by terror groups that all is not well in J&K contrary to the claim of normalcy by the government and that the time is not yet ripe to revive the political process; thirdly, in the context of the diminishing Pakistan story in J&K, these attacks are attempts by the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan to highlight its continued relevance; fourthly, thinning down of the counter-terrorism deployment grid in Jammu region due to troops been pulled out for deployment along the Line of Actual Control with China in the years after the Galwan clash; and lastly, the claim of responsibility of the last two incidents (Kathua, on July 8 and Doda, on July 15) by Kashmir Tigers depicting the widespread resistance to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in entire J&K.

Importantly, the government should not fall prey to the terrorists’ messaging against reviving the political process.

It is important to flag a few crucial facets that affect the operations of armed forces’ units on the ground and, which are generally overlooked during analyses.

The terrain in the Jammu region where security forces and terrorists operate is treacherous, as compared to the plains of the Kashmir valley. The Jammu region’s geography is interspersed with high mountains, thick vegetation, natural caves and numerous water bodies that are in spate during monsoons.

This offers a key advantage to terrorists when they start an attack, forcing troops to respond. Owing to the advantage of making the first move, soldiers, who are frequently in pursuit, suffer losses during the initial contact. This is what may have happened with the party of 10 RR under the valiant leadership of Captain Thapa on July 15/16.

Given the mentioned scenario, the army’s sub-units while operating need to exercise caution rather than rushing to establish contact. Of course, the tactical leadership on the ground is the best judge to decipher the thin dividing line that confronts soldiers in combat.

Another factor that aggravates the challenges of the terrain is the thin density of the population in the region with non-existent habitation in higher ridges. In addition to giving abundant cover and hiding places to terrorists, this also poses challenges in terms of developing real-time intelligence and building an effective human intelligence grid.

Notwithstanding the above, building up an effective human intelligence network is crucial for the armed forces. The Jammu region’s Gujjar community, which is in majority, has traditionally supported the security forces. But the increasingly weak and inert human intelligence is indeed a cause of worry and the probable alienation of Gujjars needs to be looked into by the government. If reinvigorated, this has the potential to become a cutting-edge advantage for operations.

As far as the deployment voids in the Jammu region are concerned, as per officers on the ground, additional troops have been re-inducted to tide over the gap. However, given the challenging terrain and a seemingly indifferent population, it will take time for new units to acclimatise to the geography and build an effective intelligence network.

It is imperative that the security agencies, with the support of local communities, undertake carefully planned operations to dismantle terrorist networks but expecting immediate results may not be reasonable, especially in the context of near normalcy that prevailed in the region for the last decade or so.

As noted by Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retired): “There could be costs, but ultimately, the security forces will prevail, particularly in conditions where local support is limited, as is the case in the Jammu region”(Making deterrence on terrorism work in J&K, Hindustan Times, July 15).

The relentless churning in media accompanied by the politicisation of terror-related issues doesn’t do any good to the deployed soldiers; on the contrary, they are pressurised by these factors. Resultantly, units and their leaders are compelled to show results and, while rushing to produce tangibles, falter. The setbacks are to be absorbed but not forgotten.

Security forces have been through similar difficult phases earlier but have emerged stronger. The ‘full spectrum of counter-terrorism conflict’ that Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to during his review of the security situation should be interpreted to be all-encompassing and covers military and non-military measures including how the psyche of the soldier is affected.

We have lost too many soldiers in J&K: 3598 to be precise (since the year 2000 as per the South Asia Terror Portal) and the sole driving force behind their supreme sacrifice has been patriotism.

Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa (retired), father of late Captain Brijesh Thapa demonstrated amazing stoicism through his statement to the media when he said: “I feel proud that our son has done something for the nation. But the only thing is that we will be missing him for the rest of our lives.” His gesture certainly gives us enough reasons to have faith.

Colonel Shashank Ranjan is a retired Infantry officer who has operated extensively in J&K including the command of an RR battalion in the Jammu region. He currently teaches at OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana. The views expressed are personal