NEW DELHI: As Jammu and Kashmir prepares for Assembly elections, the resurgence of terrorism poses significant security challenges, complicating the region’s stability.
Around 200 terrorists are active on the launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) with as many as 100 of them poised to infiltrate North of Pir Panjal (opposite Kashmir Valley at their active camps), 80 opposite to Jammu side while 12 at the international border, as the sources confirmed. As the five year old union territory (UT) is all set to witness Assembly elections after almost a decade, both, the policial and the security stakes are high given the fact that the hitherto state of Jammu Kashmir (J&K) has always been a region of concern given its geography and the socio-political atmosphere.
In the last three years, Jammu and Kashmir has seen a revival of terror attacks in the Jammu region which has raised eyebrows for the security apparatus as terrorism was wiped out from the belt, post the Operation Sarp Vinash two decades ago. The dense forests and hilly terrain in the Jammu region, particularly in the Poonch-Rajouri belt provide perfect hiding spots for the battle-hardened terrorists who are not just well equipped with Pakistani, Chinese and American equipments, but have deep affiliations with the Jihadist ideology. The Poonch-Rajouri belt is largely inhabited by the nomadic tribes of Gujjar-Bakarwals, who move from lower areas to upper reaches to graze their sheep. In winter, this region remains completely devoid of any humans due to the geographical and tough weather conditions. These terrorists, who are mostly of Pakistani origin, have in the recent months been successful in evading the scrutiny of security forces and are carrying out targeted killings against the armed forces.
Concerns rise over active terrorist presence in Jammu
According to the sources in the defence establishment, 44 terrorists have been neutralised this year by the armed forces, wherein 34 such killings have been in the Kashmir Valley, while 10 are in Jammu. Notably, 26 of these terrorists are of foreign origin (Pakistani) while 18 are locals. Although the graph of local recruitment has slipped down to a large scale post the abrogation of Article 370, sources reveal that this is a worrying trend and should not be looked through just the prism of numbers. Similarly, sources confirm that at present, as many as 110 terrorists are active in the union territory, with 80 active in the Kashmir Valley while 30 are in Jammu.
Over ground workers hamper security operations
Sources said that the recent operations and the intelligence grid have pointed out towards the deep web of over ground workers (OGWs) who remain a shadowy figure in the region but have caused a deep concern for the security apparatus. These shadowy figures many a times provide logistical and other aid to these terrorists who then unleash terror attacks on the armed forces and others, but they are also causing a headache for the forces during the operations.
“Many a times when we receive an intelligence regarding the presence of a terrorist or terrorists, it takes us a few minutes to reach there and encircle them. But by the time we reach there, many a times these OGWs who are hard to detect, inform these terrorists about our movements and due to that, they run away from us which is not good from the point of view of security operations”, said a high ranking officer.
Evolving terror dynamics
Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are the biggest threats for the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir, while Hizbul Mujahideen is at its last leg, operating with only a few of its ultras. As Pakistan is facing one of its biggest turbulence in the economical, political and security domain, the deep-state (ISI) is keen to portray the so-called resistance by these terrorists in the union territory (who are mostly Pakistanis) as the local rebellion.
To evade the scrutiny of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), these new terror groups such as Kashmir Tigers, People Anti-Fascist front (PAFF), and The Resistance Front are being operated by the deep state to give it a view of local rebellion, and to show to the world that there is no normalcy in Jammu & Kashmir. Sources confirm that Lashkar and Jaish militants masquerading as members of PAFF, Kashmir Tiger or The Resistance front, are an attempt by Pakistan to show that these terrorists are indigenous and so that they can evade the scrutiny of FATF.
“After the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, these terror groups who once operated in the Valley with the division amongst districts such as Jaish operating in South Kashmir or Lashkar in North, have been sidelined to such an extent that they have now come together under a single umbrella”, said a top source.
With Jammu and Kashmir set to witness the Assembly elections after a decade, the current security apparatus appears to be in control, but the history of the region in the last three decades gives the idea that nothing can be predicted there.