Army red-faced as Naved tells NIA 25 militants entered India

The captured Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Naved Yakub, involved in the attack on a BSF convoy in Udhampur, has revealed to NIA sleuths that 20-25 trained leT fidayeen from his module alone could have infiltrated into Kashmir Valley through the line of Control (loC) in the last few weeks. His revelations fly in the face of the Army’s claim that there was “zero infiltration” this year. 

Yakub along with his slain comrade Noman too had crossed over through the loC and took shelter in the frontier Kupwara district of the Valley before moving to Jammu. The duo had attacked a BSF convoy on August 5 killing two paramilitary personnel and injuring 15 others. While Noman was killed on the spot by a BSF jawan, Yakub was overpowered by two men of the Village Defence Committee that he had taken hostage and handed over to the security forces.

During interrogation, Yakub revealed that he along with four other terrorists had entered Kupwara district in Kashmir Valley two months ago on a similar jehadi mission but had crossed back into Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (POK) as the group could not make any headway then. Crossing the loC after cutting the fence and staying in the Valley for about two months, also speak volumes about the exploitation of loopholes in the security grid by terror groups. 

Incidentally, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps lt-Gen Subrata Saha had just a day before the attack claimed that the loC in Kashmir has so far seen “zero infiltration” of militants from across the loC. On July 20, the Northern Command Chief lt-Gen DS Hooda had also made similar claims. 

lt-Gen Shah had claimed there have been eight attempts from across the loC since January this year. “But we foiled all the attempts and ensured that no one enters our territory,” he had said adding 17 terrorists were neutralized while making infiltration bids. He had underscored that the Army had achieved zero tolerance on infiltration till now and “I hope that it will continue in the near future”.

Officials privy to the interrogation of Yakub said the new terror tactic of Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is to execute spectacular attacks in Jammu as the network of terror leaders in Kashmir has diminished and the remaining few are hardly able to make any significant impact. The ISI is now pushing highly-motivated and trained youth to carry out the attacks in Jammu.  

The infiltration and the Udhampur attack comes despite Intelligent inputs available in April this year underscoring the ISI’s new terror tactic and a shift in focus from the Valley to Jammu. Infiltration of the Pakistani terrorists into the Valley begins in July when the snow melts and continues till October by when the temperatures start dipping to sub-zero level. 

Soon after the Udhampur incident, the Army had claimed that the villagers taken hostage by the terrorists were freed after neutralizing Noman and capturing Yakub. However, it turned out that the lone armed guard in the BSF bus had killed Noman before succumbing from the fire of the terrorists. 

The 750-km loC is essentially manned by the Army out of which 237 km has a co-deployment of Border Security Force. About two lakh regular Army and Rashtriya Rifle personnel are deployed for counter-insurgency action in a three-tier fashion along the loC and adjoining areas. 

lt-Gen Saha had also said that an estimated 200 terrorists are operating in Kashmir but “they are on run due to constant pressure of security forces”.  However, Yakub’s account suggests that they had extensive local support, buttressed by the arrest of six people on Saturday for having sheltered and harboured the leT terrorist.