Army intensifies counter terror ops in Jammu
The Indian Army has intensified its counter-terrorism operations in the higher altitudes of Jammu region’s Kishtwar and Doda districts during Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period, to flush out and neutralise groups of Pakistani terrorists hiding in the dense forested areas, denying them any winter sanctuary through sustained patrols and expanded security presence.
According to the latest assessment of various intelligence agencies, over 30 Pakistani terrorists are active across the Jammu region and have been trying to evade direct contact with the security forces to sustain the harsh weather conditions inside their safe hideouts in the upper reaches of the Jammu division.
According to ground reports, the Indian Army has already set up temporary bases in the higher altitudes and along the ridgelines to choke the terrorist supply lines and maintain a tight vigil on the movement of suspected terrorists in the peak winter season ahead.
To plug the gaps, the Indian army is also relying heavily on electronic surveillance and other sophisticated technologies, such as drone cameras and mobile apps, to trace the whereabouts of these Pakistani terrorists.
Intelligence reports indicate that Pakistan-based handlers have reactivated multiple terrorist launch pads along the Line of Control and International Border, facilitating the infiltration of small groups of heavily armed terrorists, many trained in jungle and guerrilla warfare, into the Jammu region amid ongoing winter conditions.
A massive crackdown has been launched against the notorious overground workers to create a deterrent among the vulnerable masses in the remote areas of the Jammu region.
Similar counter terrorism operations have been intensified along the border belt of Kathua district and the frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch after the region recorded the suspicious movement of terrorists in the area.
During last week, at least two Pakistani terrorists, suffering from hunger pangs, forcibly barged into the residence of a villager in the Chore Motu village and took away large quantities of food before vanishing into the nearby forest area of Majalta tehsil in the Udhampur district.
Additional troops have been mobilised in the Bani and Billawar areas of Kathua to keep a hawk’s eye on the suspected movement of terrorists to prevent any sensational terror strike on a vital security install-ation along the Jammu-Pathankot highway.
Meanwhile, the jawans of the Border Security Force, the special operations group of the Jammu and Kashmir police, and CoBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force are maintaining a tight vigil amid foggy weather conditions across the Jammu frontier to foil any infiltration bids from across the border with Pakistan.
A high alert has been sounded in the neighbouring border belt of Punjab, especially in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts, following inputs that the terrorists from Pakistan could take that route to infiltrate into India, taking advantage of the thick fog which has engulfed the region presently and is expected to continue for at least a month.
Pak’s Deputy PM admits Nur Khan airbase was attacked by india
Lahore: Eight months after India pounded targets within Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, on Sunday, admitted that India attacked its Nur Khan airbase in the early hours of May 10 during the four-day armed conflict between the two countries.
Dar also said that Islamabad did not request mediation between Pakistan and India during the May conflict, but claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed a desire to speak with New Delhi.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes between the two countries and ended with an understanding to stop the military actions on May 10.
“As many as 79 of 80 drones sent by India were intercepted within 36 hours. India then made the mistake of attacking the Nur Khan Airbase in the early hours of May 10, prompting Pakistan’s retaliatory operation,” Dar, who is also the foreign minister, said while outlining Pakistan’s diplomatic engagements in 2025.
Dar said that on May 10, US Secretary of State Rubio called him at around 8.17 am, in which he conveyed that India was ready for a ceasefire and asked whether Pakistan would agree. “I said we never wanted to go to war,” Dar added. He further said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal later contacted him seeking permission to speak with India and “subsequently confirmed that a ceasefire had been agreed.”
Dar also claimed that Pakistan shot down seven Indian jets during the May 7 air battle, without providing any evidence in support of his claims. The minister reiterated Pakistan’s position that lasting peace in the region is linked to a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
