On a day when five Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were killed in a fierce encounter with the Army in Shopian area of South Kashmir, a top Army commander on Thursday warned that over 200 highly-trained terrorists were waiting at 36 launch pads in Pakistan to infiltrate into India and attack soft targets like schools, religious places and civilian areas ahead of US President Obama’s visit.
However, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the Indian security forces were ready to counter the design of the terror groups. “Over 200 Pakistani trained terrorists are waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate into India,” said lt-General KH Singh, Officer Commander 16 Corps, Nagrota. Claiming that there were 14-15 camps South of the Pir Panjal area where terrorists were being trained, he disclosed that strikes were planned inside “war rooms” located close to the line of Control (loC).
lt-General Singh said that these “war rooms” also act as coordination centres between Pakistan Army officers, ISI sleuths and trained militants to energise militant-related activities across the border. In New Delhi, on the occasion of Army Day on Thursday, Manohar Parrikar said the Indian security forces were well-prepared to handle any adverse situation arising from terror groups.
"They (terrorists) may try to do something to create news. But we are well prepared," Parrikar said on reports that there may be militant attacks ahead of Obama's India visit. The Minister said that Indian Intelligence is also proactive and the success of information gathering by security forces can be made out from the fact that there is a massive crackdown on infiltrators, including the five killed in Shopian on Thursday.
On the point of resuming talks with Pakistan following reports that it planned to ban ten terror outfits, including 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the Defence Minister felt that Pakistan will have to put words into action for the bilateral dialogue process to begin. "let things cool down at the borders also. If things are quite now, it is not because of Pakistan Army. It is because we reacted in a certain way when they fired first," he said.
Giving clear indication that the Army and Intelligence agencies were working in tandem to foil Pakistan's design, the Army gunned down five militants including their "Divisional Commander" in a gun-battle in Kohrut forest area of South Kashmir's mountainous Shopian district on Thursday. The group was led by Pakistani nationals and included four local cadres who were involved in several attacks on security forces, Defence sources said.
The operation was launched on Wednesday afternoon in the far-off forested area, around 60 km from here. The militants were hiding in a hut abandoned by nomadic cattle-grazers. Sources said that security forces laid hands on one of their upper ground workers who spilled the beans during sustained interrogation.
Sources said that police and security forces laid a siege in Kohrut and Gadar forest areas in Keller after joining bits and pieces of information revealed by detained upper-ground workers of the JeM group. Police said the encounter began on Thursday morning when the militants opened fire after being challenged. However, the security forces did not suffer any casualty. Sources said that two militants died in the initial phase of firing. The security forces fired tear-smoke shells to force militants out of their hideout. The encounter was called off at 3:30 pm when three more militants were killed.
Meanwhile, the security forces deployed in the State are on tight vigil after 'high alert' was sounded in view of the upcoming visit of Obama to India. Sharing his assessment of the prevailing security situation in his area of responsibility lt-Gen KH Singh told reporters in Jammu, "there are general inputs that nearly 200 trained militants were ready to sneak across the border and target schools, civilian areas, highway convoys and places of worship."
Singh said there could be a possibility that some disgruntled elements of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) might surrender to the Pakistan Army, which can be used to launch attacks against India. lt-Gen Singh said every time there is positive international attention towards India elements which are inimical to peace try and disturb the peace. It has happened in the past and now we are fully prepared to tackle these elements.
Commenting on the strategic planning of militant handlers sitting across the loC lt-Gen Singh said, the coordination centres (war rooms) being run by the Pakistan Army, ISI and militants were always there but according to our assessment they have now increased their activities to energise militants across the border.