With the Indian security forces stretched in Jammu and Kashmir in aid of civil administration to fight coronavirus spread, Pakistan-based terror groups have activated launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and the border in Jammu to infiltrate 230 terrorists over the next few weeks and months.
The batch of five terrorists killed on Sunday in a close-quarters battle with the army’s Special Forces commandos was among the first in recent weeks. Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh told HT soon after that there were many more at the terror launch pads.
India’s national security planners have put a figure to this effort across the border to create a summer of discontent in the Kashmir valley.
There are around 160 terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) are ready to infiltrate into the Valley from across the LoC in Kashmir, people tasked with the analysis of intelligence about terror movements and camps told HT.
In the Jammu sector along the international border, around 70 armed and trained terrorists are at the launch pads to infiltrate into this area through unfenced riverine and nullahs.
{{/usCountry}}In the Jammu sector along the international border, around 70 armed and trained terrorists are at the launch pads to infiltrate into this area through unfenced riverine and nullahs.
{{/usCountry}}According to counter-terror operatives, Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists are camping at Samani-Bhimber and Dudhnial launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and waiting for the first opportunity to infiltrate into J&K. Similarly, LeT has been sending its terrorist cadre to Leepa and Kel launching pads in Leepa Valley and Neelum Valley respectively to infiltrate into the Valley.
As part of its plan to intensify infiltration for terror strikes in J&K, the JeM terror group have been consolidating their trained cadre across the international border in Sialkot sector since February.
Also Read: Spike in ceasefire violations by Pakistan amid Covid outbreak
Intelligence inputs reveal that a group of armed JeM jihadists arrived at their Markaz in village Mundeke, Tehsil Daska in Sialkot district on 11 February 2020.
Home Ministry officials say that there were 133 successful infiltration events along the LoC and IB in 2019. Most of the cross overs took place between April and September 2019.
During January-February 2020, the Indian security forces managed to arrest 48 jihadists or overground workers and neutralize 24 terrorists including three foreign nationals.
“The 5 April Keran sector encounter in which five terrorists were killed reveals that the LeT has big plans to infiltrate from the Kupwara sector,” one home ministry official said.
The infiltration from Pakistan takes place in different sectors: Gurez, Machchil, Keran, Tangdhar, Naugam and Uri in Kashmir sector; Poonch, Krishna Ghati, Bhimber Gali, Sunderbani and Naushera in Rajouri sector; Jourian, Hira Nagar, Kathua, Samba and Jammu in Jammu sector.
Counter-terror operatives said the main outfits involved in infiltration in recent years have been the Jaish, Lashkar and the Hizbul Mujahideen. But they have been picking up signals that Rawalpindi GHQ intends to revive Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI) in Sialkot, Punjab and Kotli region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.