JAMMU: They have been woke up by knocks at their doorways. Policemen armed with computerized rifles surrounded their properties, bundled them into autos, and sped away by means of the forest tracks of their villages, that are about 25km aside and 110km southeast of Jammu metropolis.
These arrests added weight to suspicions of native assist within the resurgence of terrorist actions within the Jammu zone of J&Ok, elevating questions in regards to the area’s safety dynamics and the broader socio-political underpinnings.
Police launched a stripped-down assertion. “Via meticulous investigation, two over floor employees (OGWs) have been recognized and arrested for supporting terrorism-related actions. They’re Layaqat Ali, alias Pawu, son of Gammi, from Ward No. 07, Kalna Dhanu Parole, Billawar, Kathua, and Mool Raj, alias Jenju, son of Uttam Chand, from Bowli Mohalla, Malhar, additionally in Kathua district.”
Ali and Raj are residents of sleepy hamlets deep within the Pir Panjal vary that slices by means of J&Ok — Jammu to the south and Kashmir valley to the north. Residents dwell miles aside. Cell and web service is inconsistent — or non-existent. Right here, nightly knocks might both imply terrorist, police, or a cousin who misplaced his cow within the woods.
The 2 males’s villages are inside vary of Badnota, the place an ambush on a two-truck patrol claimed the lives of 5 troopers from 22 Garhwal Rifles on July 8. From vantage factors, the terrorists fired bullets downrange when the vans have been slowly negotiating a bend on Machedi-Kindli-Malhar highway.
The realm falls beneath the Machedi forest belt — a distant and rugged panorama dotted with deep gorges, thick foliage, and mountain caves, offering ample cowl for terrorists working in small teams. On this treacherous terrain, safety forces have struggled to neutralise the risk successfully, regardless of in depth seek-and-kill operations involving drones, helicopters, and army canines.
The state of affairs raises vital questions. How do terrorists, presumed to be from Pakistan, handle to launch deadly assaults and evade seize on this difficult panorama? Have they got an area assist system in place, or are they utilizing coercion — gunpoint intimidation — and monetary incentives to achieve the assist of impoverished villagers?
Authorities have lengthy claimed that native assist is essential for these Pakistani terrorists, who lack familiarity with the lay of the land. “International terrorists, unfamiliar with the topography and safety format, can’t function successfully with out native steering,” stated a retired Military officer. “They’ll’t transfer a step outdoors of their hideout. However they struck at particular locations of their selection (in current assaults), which isn’t attainable with out native assist and steering.”
Based on safety sources, greater than 60 international terrorists, educated in jungle warfare, are energetic in small teams throughout the Jammu area. These teams are outfitted with superior expertise, together with iridium satellite tv for pc telephones and thermal imagery, and use high-end weapons just like the American M4 carbine.
Their capability to coordinate assaults poses a major problem for safety forces, evidenced by the profitable ambushes and subsequent escapes, utilizing dense foliage and darkness to their benefit. Latest assaults, such because the July 8 ambush on a army patrol, show the terrorists’ capacity to strike particular targets with precision, indicating robust native data.
Ali and Raj have been arrested for allegedly aiding the terrorists in hiding and navigating the world undetected. Earlier, police had arrested 4 males, together with Showket Ali, who allegedly supplied meals, shelter, and WiFi entry to 3 terrorists earlier than the July 15 assault in Desa forest of Doda district, which left 4 troopers useless.
“International terrorists could be luring locals with large sums of cash to work for them as OGWs,” stated the retired Military officer. “They provide them a way of consolation and security in trade for logistical assist and intelligence.”
On June 19, police arrested a 45-year-old man named Hakam Din, alleged to be an OGW and prime suspect in guiding and sheltering the group of suspected Pakistani gunmen who attacked a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district on June 9, ensuing within the deaths of 9 folks. Din allegedly obtained Rs 6,000 for his help, which police claimed to have present in his possession.
The timing of the assaults, usually occurring in remoted areas and at evening, additional recommended a dependence on native assist. “With out utilizing GPS or different navigation aids to keep away from detection, these terrorists want locals to information them,” a safety supply stated. Latest terrorist strikes, together with the Bhangri shootout and the Chatergalla mountain cross assault, highlighted the dependency of terrorists on native operatives.
In 2023, safety businesses arrested 291 folks related to terrorist teams, emphasising the widespread risk of native assist. J&Ok DGP RR Swain reported the dismantling of 89 terrorist modules, with 78 in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu. Regardless of these efforts, the surge in assaults this summer time has raised issues in regards to the effectiveness of present safety measures.
Authorities have warned folks in opposition to aiding terrorists, whereas additionally urging locals to report any “suspicious motion” of their space. Locals denied any involvement with terrorists. One villager, who most popular to stay nameless, supplied a perspective on their predicament quickly after the Reasi pilgrim bus assault: “What do you do when a jihadi factors an AK-47 at your head and calls for meals? Yield or combat again? Inform police and danger retaliation?”
The escalation in terrorism-related violence has involved locals in higher reaches, who demanded the strengthening of village defence teams (VDGs) to sort out threats. In locations like Kralaan village of Doda, VDGs are aiding safety forces within the counteroffensive.
The important thing to intelligence gathering is surveillance, stakeouts, and stealth — important for telling the dangerous guys from the great. Nonetheless, the current string of assaults and fatalities have raised issues about intelligence failures.
Traditionally, the nomadic Gujjar-Bakerwal neighborhood has been a significant intelligence supply for safety businesses. Nonetheless, current occasions have strained this relationship. The granting of scheduled tribe standing to the Paharis and the deaths of three neighborhood members in Military custody final winter have induced a way of betrayal amongst some Bakerwal members.
However, neighborhood leaders reaffirm their patriotism. “Our neighborhood has all the time supported the Military,” stated Adil Khan, a Bakerwal. “We reciprocate the Military’s help with our cooperation.”
Advocate Anwer Choudhary echoed this sentiment, stressing that the neighborhood stays targeted on their security and well-being reasonably than reservation points.
The assaults are significantly regarding, with the Supreme Courtroom setting a deadline of Sept 30 for the upcoming meeting elections in J&Ok. Is the surge in terrorist actions a deliberate try to derail the democratic course of? Official sources stated the assaults are designed to mission a way of dominance by the terrorists regardless of the improved safety grid within the area.
These arrests added weight to suspicions of native assist within the resurgence of terrorist actions within the Jammu zone of J&Ok, elevating questions in regards to the area’s safety dynamics and the broader socio-political underpinnings.
Police launched a stripped-down assertion. “Via meticulous investigation, two over floor employees (OGWs) have been recognized and arrested for supporting terrorism-related actions. They’re Layaqat Ali, alias Pawu, son of Gammi, from Ward No. 07, Kalna Dhanu Parole, Billawar, Kathua, and Mool Raj, alias Jenju, son of Uttam Chand, from Bowli Mohalla, Malhar, additionally in Kathua district.”
Ali and Raj are residents of sleepy hamlets deep within the Pir Panjal vary that slices by means of J&Ok — Jammu to the south and Kashmir valley to the north. Residents dwell miles aside. Cell and web service is inconsistent — or non-existent. Right here, nightly knocks might both imply terrorist, police, or a cousin who misplaced his cow within the woods.
The 2 males’s villages are inside vary of Badnota, the place an ambush on a two-truck patrol claimed the lives of 5 troopers from 22 Garhwal Rifles on July 8. From vantage factors, the terrorists fired bullets downrange when the vans have been slowly negotiating a bend on Machedi-Kindli-Malhar highway.
The realm falls beneath the Machedi forest belt — a distant and rugged panorama dotted with deep gorges, thick foliage, and mountain caves, offering ample cowl for terrorists working in small teams. On this treacherous terrain, safety forces have struggled to neutralise the risk successfully, regardless of in depth seek-and-kill operations involving drones, helicopters, and army canines.
The state of affairs raises vital questions. How do terrorists, presumed to be from Pakistan, handle to launch deadly assaults and evade seize on this difficult panorama? Have they got an area assist system in place, or are they utilizing coercion — gunpoint intimidation — and monetary incentives to achieve the assist of impoverished villagers?
Authorities have lengthy claimed that native assist is essential for these Pakistani terrorists, who lack familiarity with the lay of the land. “International terrorists, unfamiliar with the topography and safety format, can’t function successfully with out native steering,” stated a retired Military officer. “They’ll’t transfer a step outdoors of their hideout. However they struck at particular locations of their selection (in current assaults), which isn’t attainable with out native assist and steering.”
Based on safety sources, greater than 60 international terrorists, educated in jungle warfare, are energetic in small teams throughout the Jammu area. These teams are outfitted with superior expertise, together with iridium satellite tv for pc telephones and thermal imagery, and use high-end weapons just like the American M4 carbine.
Their capability to coordinate assaults poses a major problem for safety forces, evidenced by the profitable ambushes and subsequent escapes, utilizing dense foliage and darkness to their benefit. Latest assaults, such because the July 8 ambush on a army patrol, show the terrorists’ capacity to strike particular targets with precision, indicating robust native data.
Ali and Raj have been arrested for allegedly aiding the terrorists in hiding and navigating the world undetected. Earlier, police had arrested 4 males, together with Showket Ali, who allegedly supplied meals, shelter, and WiFi entry to 3 terrorists earlier than the July 15 assault in Desa forest of Doda district, which left 4 troopers useless.
“International terrorists could be luring locals with large sums of cash to work for them as OGWs,” stated the retired Military officer. “They provide them a way of consolation and security in trade for logistical assist and intelligence.”
On June 19, police arrested a 45-year-old man named Hakam Din, alleged to be an OGW and prime suspect in guiding and sheltering the group of suspected Pakistani gunmen who attacked a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district on June 9, ensuing within the deaths of 9 folks. Din allegedly obtained Rs 6,000 for his help, which police claimed to have present in his possession.
The timing of the assaults, usually occurring in remoted areas and at evening, additional recommended a dependence on native assist. “With out utilizing GPS or different navigation aids to keep away from detection, these terrorists want locals to information them,” a safety supply stated. Latest terrorist strikes, together with the Bhangri shootout and the Chatergalla mountain cross assault, highlighted the dependency of terrorists on native operatives.
In 2023, safety businesses arrested 291 folks related to terrorist teams, emphasising the widespread risk of native assist. J&Ok DGP RR Swain reported the dismantling of 89 terrorist modules, with 78 in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu. Regardless of these efforts, the surge in assaults this summer time has raised issues in regards to the effectiveness of present safety measures.
Authorities have warned folks in opposition to aiding terrorists, whereas additionally urging locals to report any “suspicious motion” of their space. Locals denied any involvement with terrorists. One villager, who most popular to stay nameless, supplied a perspective on their predicament quickly after the Reasi pilgrim bus assault: “What do you do when a jihadi factors an AK-47 at your head and calls for meals? Yield or combat again? Inform police and danger retaliation?”
The escalation in terrorism-related violence has involved locals in higher reaches, who demanded the strengthening of village defence teams (VDGs) to sort out threats. In locations like Kralaan village of Doda, VDGs are aiding safety forces within the counteroffensive.
The important thing to intelligence gathering is surveillance, stakeouts, and stealth — important for telling the dangerous guys from the great. Nonetheless, the current string of assaults and fatalities have raised issues about intelligence failures.
Traditionally, the nomadic Gujjar-Bakerwal neighborhood has been a significant intelligence supply for safety businesses. Nonetheless, current occasions have strained this relationship. The granting of scheduled tribe standing to the Paharis and the deaths of three neighborhood members in Military custody final winter have induced a way of betrayal amongst some Bakerwal members.
However, neighborhood leaders reaffirm their patriotism. “Our neighborhood has all the time supported the Military,” stated Adil Khan, a Bakerwal. “We reciprocate the Military’s help with our cooperation.”
Advocate Anwer Choudhary echoed this sentiment, stressing that the neighborhood stays targeted on their security and well-being reasonably than reservation points.
The assaults are significantly regarding, with the Supreme Courtroom setting a deadline of Sept 30 for the upcoming meeting elections in J&Ok. Is the surge in terrorist actions a deliberate try to derail the democratic course of? Official sources stated the assaults are designed to mission a way of dominance by the terrorists regardless of the improved safety grid within the area.
