Infiltration in focus after militants attack army camp in Uri

The gunning down of four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who attacked Uri in a deadly suicide attack has refocused attention on increasing infiltration from across the line of control.

The gunning down of four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists who attacked Uri in a deadly suicide attack has refocused attention on increasing infiltration from across the line of control.

People hold a candlelight vigil to pray for soldiers killed in a terror attack at an army base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri near the Line of Control, in Lucknow on Sunday. (PTI)

Sources indicate that the four terrorists killed in Uri were part of a fresh batch of militants to have crossed over the LoC.

Since the death of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani on July 8 and the beginning of a civilian unrest in Kashmir, there has been a spike in infiltration bids. Sources in the army say that although many of the attempts have been foiled and the militants killed or repulsed, there have still been successes. As compared to 2015, when 30 terrorists are suspected to have crossed over from Pakistan, the figure for 2016 has already spiked to 70.

On September 11, the army had foiled three infiltration bids in a single day, in the Naugam, Tangdhar and Gurez sectors. They were the latest in a series of more than 10 foiled infiltration bids in Kashmir since Wani’s death.

Inspector General BSF, Kashmir Frontier, Vikash Chandra had told the media on Saturday that, “There has been an increase in the number of encounters along the LoC this year, and seeing that there is no denial that infiltration has taken place...Around 150-200 militants are waiting on the other side of LoC to infiltrate.”

The security establishment is worried that Pakistan is pushing in terrorists before the snow fall and that the oncoming winter might be a bloody one too.