As Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked officials to deploy the full strength of counter-terror apparatus against terrorists behind recent strikes in Jammu, law enforcement agencies are seeing the current jihadi escalation as an effort to open a new axis of violence and unrest in Jammu region.
On a day when the PM reviewed the uptick in terrorist violence with NSA Ajit Doval and others, J&K DGP R R Swain said counter-terrorism strategies were being tweaked to beat the “unique challenge” represented by 40-50 terrorists who infiltrated from Pakistan and were now holed up in mountainous terrain of Jammu - where road connectivity and communication facilities do not match those in the Valley, making it longer for the forces to respond to information.
The shift in security strategy includes returning to the force deployment pattern of the 1990s, with more personnel guarding mountain tops, resuming and intensifying counter-terror operations sector-wise and strengthening village defence committees in Jammu by refining their training and equipping them better to bust terror strikes.
Maintaining that attacks in Reasi, Doda and Kathua were a recent phenomenon in that particular axis, Swain said, “After the Valley is relatively pacified, terrorist outfits like Lashkar e-Taiba have shifted attention to Jammu, activating different axes that run through Chenab, Tawi and Ujh-Ravi rivers. It is a determined effort on part of Pakistan-based elements to ratchet up things for reasons that include boosting morale of fighters and creating inter-communal tension in a region with mixed population (by religion),” the DGP said.
50 detained
Security teams assisted by drone crews and military dogs are scouring deep forests and high-altitude terrain in Jammu division to catch or kill suspected Pakistani terrorists responsible for four attacks on June 9, 11, and 12 in 3 districts of the region.
Authorities have detained 50 local people for questioning regarding the June 9 ambush on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district. Nine people were killed and 41 injured in the attack. DGP RR Swain warned against aiding terrorists. “Some enemy agents are helping the terrorists for money and narcotics… They will be identified and dealt with sternly,” Sain said.
