Training camps shifted from South to North of Pir Panjal to enable militants to sneak into the Valley to step up levels of violence
With the objective of disturbing the forthcoming lok Sabha polls in Jammu & Kashmir in May, many Pakistan army and ISI-backed terrorist training camps have shifted from South to North of Pir Panjal to enable militants sneak into Kashmir valley to step up levels of violence.
This move has seen security forces killing 20 militants in the last three months in the hinterland as compared to just three in the corresponding period last year and encounters are likely to get bloodier in the coming weeks in the run-up to the polls to be held in five phases starting from April 10 to May 7. Moreover, there will be no respite as Assembly elections are scheduled in October and militants will go all out to make their point.
Giving the assessment report here on Monday in the wake of an encounter in Kupwara where two lashkar-e-Tayyeba militants were killed the same day, Army officials said the shifting of training camps is a cause of concern.
Elaborating upon it, they said camps in South of Pir Panjal ranges generally see militants infiltrating to attack security forces in Poonch and Rajouri sectors. However, rugged terrain does not permit militant from trekking across to Srinagar and other towns in north Kashmir like Kupwara and Baramullah.
Fear of getting eliminated by security forces during the journey desist the militants from taking this route and their handlers have now shifted some launch pads from South to North in the last few weeks, sources said.
This will enable the militants to infiltrate with lesser risk into Kupwara, Baramullah and even reach up to Srinagar to carry out attacks on political figures besides security forces when campaigning gathers momentum towards the end of this month.
As regards the present situation, officials said 20 militants were killed during the last three months as compared to just three in the corresponding period last year. Moreover, 11 foreigners comprised the casualty figure of terrorists this year indicating that Pakistan pushing in some of its own fighters besides militants of other nationalities lodged in training camps across the line of Control (loC).
The month-wise break up of terrorists killed is seven in January, including four foreign militants (nil militant either local or foreign last year), 11 in February, including seven foreigners (one last year) and two in March (two last year). As regards infiltration bids, officials said 11 militants tried to get in January and while one got killed the remaining returned to their bases across the loC.
Incidentally, 68 terrorists were killed in various encounters in 2013 and 53 security forces personnel also died as compared to two so far in the first three months of this year. The attrition rate for the last three years is 95 terrorists killed and 33 security forces martyred in 2011, 73 terrorists and 15 security forces personnel in 2012, 68 militants last year and 53 security forces.
While security forces managed to account for top leadership of various terrorist outfits last year, officials admitted that security forces cannot take this peace for granted. Infiltration bids will go up in the summer months in North Kashmir after snow melts thereby opening up ingress routes for militants and even Defence Minister AK Antony said some days back that real test of preparedness will be in summer and “we are keeping our fingers crossed”.