The unending violence in Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani has forced various Intelligence agencies to carry out a reshuffle in their ranks to improve Intelligence gathering on ‘ground zero’ to counter the ‘radicalised’ breed of ‘educated’ militants.
Old guards, who had their ‘eyes and ears’ to the ground during their previous tenure in the Valley, have been brought back to further strengthen the Intelligence-gathering network.
In Jammu region too, Intelligence officers who had served during troubled times in the State have been brought back from their present postings to help sitting officers upgrade their Intelligence-gathering network.
In the initial shake-up, several senior officers have resumed their duties and are working hard to rebuild their network of sources to penetrate the pro-active radicalised groups.
The audacity with which highly-trained militants have been carrying out deadly strikes and targeting security installations and security forces' convoys along the highways has caught various Intelligence agencies operating in the Valley on the wrong foot.
The State and Central Intelligence agencies, despite having their presence in the hinterland, have not been able to generate advance Intelligence to pin down the movement of militants.
The local residents, who used to operate as 'sources' for Intelligence agencies, are on the run fearing for their own safety as angry protesters have been thrashing them and their close relatives merely on the basis of unconfirmed reports of their alleged association with security forces.
Moreover, as the prolonged cycle of violence continues, the counter-insurgency grid has been compromised in the Valley due to the curtailed movement and poor area domination.
Following clashes with mobs, the security forces were directed by the Chief of the Unified Command to exercise restraint and remain closeted inside their camps to avoid a flare-up and direct confrontation with the angry protesters.
The State police, that are also facing the heat, are likely to shift the top cop holding the charge of the CID department.
The sitting officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police was brought back in March 2016 to beef up the Intelligence network of the State police.
During the recent security review meetings, the top brass of the Northern Command headquarters had also discussed the issue of Intelligence gathering and stressed on the need to improve synergy between the various agencies working on ground zero to bring down the response time and lend more credibility to the CID operations.