'Lashkar making desperate calls to PoK for supplies'

Army sources say the terror group is facing acute shortage of men, money and weapons.

The Army on Thursday said Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group was facing acute shortage of men and material and making "desperate" calls to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) for supplies besides beginning extortion of villagers in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir.

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According to Army sources, various intercepts indicated that LeT commanders in Jammu were making wireless contact with the PoK leaders for replenishment of men, money and weapons to sustain militancy in the state.

The sources claimed that Jammu and Kashmir-based Lashkar commanders had been suggesting to their masters across the border that lack of weapon and money was sending wrong signal to its cadres in the state.

"The intercepts point to frustration among the cadres of different terrorist outfits, who have very less stores of weapons and ammunitation besides money," they said.

The sources said terrorists at the lower rung had begun extortion of local villagers and there were also incidents of looting of cattle, eatables and money from people living in mountainous belts during past two to three months.

"Not only this, recruitments have been conducted by outfits like LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in Doda belts and the new recuits do not have any weapons," they said.

They said these factors were responsible for over 76 terrorists of Hizb, LeT, Al-Badr, HuM other outfits surrendering during the past few months.