Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The number of terrorists stationed across the border in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, ready to be pushed in India, has decreased, according to latest intelligence inputs. Sources in intelligence agencies told that the number of terrorists parked across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir as well as Jammu has almost halved.
Around 70 terrorists were waiting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir by the end of January. This number was around 115 during the corresponding period in 2021. In December, around 175 terrorists were waiting at launch pads across the LoC to infiltrate into the valley, according to an internal report prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Sources said that better coordination among security agencies and defence forces is one of the main reasons why the overall situation at LoC is relatively more peaceful. “There is a lot of synergy between the Army and the BSF. Our area dominations and surveillance techniques have made infiltrations very difficult for terrorists. Whenever anyone is seen crossing the LoC, that person is challenged,” said a senior official.
A senior MHA official said the lower number of terrorists waiting to sneak into India also shows that Pakistan has been trying to come out of the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The FATF has announced that Pakistan will continue to be in its ‘grey list’ and directed it to do more in investigating and prosecuting senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terrorist groups for terror financing.
There is a considerable decrease in terrorists camping across the border and waiting to sneak through Keran, Tangdhar, Uri sectors (Kashmir) and Poonch, Krishna Ghati, Bhimber Gali, Naushera and Hiranagar sectors (Jammu), according to the MHA report.
‘Youths used for grenade strikes’
Srinagar: After two civilians were killed in a grenade attack on Sunday, a senior army commander said militants were using young men to lob grenades at crowded places in Kashmir. “It (Sunday grenade attack) was a cowardice act as women, men and children were doing their daily business and shopping,” GOC of Army’s 15 Corps, Lt Gen DP Pandey said.
Having realised that they were unable to do major difference, people propagating the nexus and trying to push terrorism are using hybrid terrorists to hurl grenades, he said.
