Army girds up to stamp out ISIS threat in Kashmir

After remaining in a state of denial, the Indian Army has finally started acknowledging the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) — the West-Asia based terrorist organisation — in Jammu & Kashmir. Serious concerns were raised by senior officers of the integrated security grid in the wake of repeated incidents of hoisting of the ISIS flag by the sysmpathisers of the separatist leaders during protest marches across the Kashmir valley. 

“Whatever inputs we have, the ISIS has not yet taken off a major role on the other side but they are definitely trying to gain foothold in the area (PoK)”, General officer commanding (GoC), 16 Corps, lt Gen KH Singh told reporters on sidelines of an Army function in Jhangar in frontier Rajouri district.

Though the comment made by the  high-ranking Army officer was aimed at sending warning signals to the foot soldiers to remain vigilant to these threats, it was also an admission of the fact that gradually the guerrillas of the banned terrorist organisation has started spreading its tentacles in the region.

Between July and October 2014 when repeated incidents of the ISIS flag hoisting were reported from different parts of Kashmir Valley, the senior security personnel had raised serious concerns but the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had rubbished reports of presence of ISIS volunteers or militant outfit in the Valley.

Now with growing radicalisation of youth and emergence of home grown terrorists in parts of North and South Kashmir, the Indian Army has geared up its intelligence gathering on ground zero to track down the handlers of motivated youth inclined towards joining the ISIS.Commenting on the prevailing security situation along the line of control in his area of command, lt Gen Singh said there were around 200 to 225 militants in 36 launch pads across the Pir Panchal range waiting to infiltrate into the Indian side. lt-Gen Singh said the numbers of ceasefire violation have come down as compared to previous year but credible inputs gathered by the different agencies clearly suggest that trained militants are planning to infiltrate and disturb the ongoing yatra season in the State.

He said these militants are also planning to launch BAT operations with active support from certain inimical elements. He said the terror infrastructure across the border was intact and training camps were still active. At the same time he assured the countrymen that the Indian Army is fully prepared to deal with the situation and is playing pro-active role to defend its borders. 

Earlier in the day lt Gen KH Singh paid glowing tributes to Brigadier Mohd Usman, who was martyred during the 1947-48 operation in Noushera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. Brigadier Mohd Usman had played a pivotal role as commander of 50 Parachute Brigade during the recapture of Jhangar and the battle of Noushera, which earned him the title of ‘Noushera Ka Sher’. He was posthumously awarded the “Maha Vir Chakra”.