News Analysis India

Tag: Cross border terrorism

  • Jammu & Kashmir delimitation exercise: India rejects Pakistan Assembly’s ‘farcical resolution’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday described as “farcical” a resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the neighbouring country has no locus standi to interfere in internal matters of India.

    External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi categorically rejected the resolution and asked Islamabad to stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its “infrastructure of terrorism”. “We categorically reject the farcical resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on the subject of the delimitation exercise in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on or interfere in matters that are internal to India, including the Indian territories under Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation,” he said.

    The spokesperson was responding to media queries regarding the resolution passed by the Pakistan National Assembly. “It is regrettable that instead of putting their own house in order, the leadership in Pakistan continues to interfere in India’s internal affairs and engage in baseless and provocative anti-India propaganda,” he said.

    Bagchi said the entire territory of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, is and shall always remain an integral part of India”. “The delimitation exercise in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a democratic exercise based on principles of extensive stakeholder consultation and participation,” he said.

    Bagchi asked Pakistan to refrain from effecting any further material changes in the status of Pakistan occupied Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) and vacate the Indian territories that are under its “illegal and forcible occupation”.

    “We reiterate that Pakistan must immediately cease anti-India cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism; stop the grave and persistent human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL); refrain from effecting any further material changes in the status of PoJKL, and vacate Indian territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation,” Bagchi said.

  • Harkat 313: New terror outfit posing threat to security grid

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  A batch of foreign terrorists under the banner of a new terror outfit — Harkat 313 — is believed to have snuck into the Kashmir Valley.  According to highly placed sources in the security establishment, the terrorists, who are giving a tough time to security set up, were tasked with attacking vital government installations to disturb the law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley.

    “This is the first time we are hearing about this group. All we know at this point about them is that this group comprises exclusively of foreign terrorists. Whether this name is being floated as a smokescreen, to divert attention away from Lashkar-e-Toiba, which is known to push Pakistani terrorists in the Valley, we don’t know at the moment,” said a senior security official.

    Several high-profile government installations are believed to be in the crosshairs of this terrorist group, the official added. Security was accordingly enhanced up at various points such as the ongoing hydropower projects and the Srinagar airport.

    The security grid is working overtime to find out more about this group, its benefactors and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in the Valley. The activities of this new group are being seen in the backdrop of Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

    “We received specific information about some targets, including two vital locations — one in North Kashmir and one in South, that could be in the crosshairs of the terrorists of this new outfit but owing to operational constraints, we cannot reveal them at this point in time,” a top intelligence official told this newspaper.

    With regards to the Srinagar airport, several security review meetings involving various agencies, including Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, J&K Police, CRPF and CISF, have already taken place, in the wake of the terrorist attack on an IAF base on June 28. 

    Meanwhile, the BSF and the army are on high alert as Pakistan is desperately trying to push terrorists into India just before the onset of winter. Over the past three days, seven army personnel were killed in various counter-insurgency operations in J&K’s Poonch district. 

    VITAL Installations Among targetsAs high-profile government installations are believed to be in the crosshairs of this terrorist group, there has been upgrade in security set-up at various points such as the ongoing hydropower projects and the Srinagar airport

  • Terrorism weapon of choice of non-state actors, irresponsible states: Rajnath Singh

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Terrorism has been employed as a weapon of choice by non-state actors and irresponsible states to advance their political objectives in the region, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday in a thinly-veiled attack on Pakistan.

    In an address at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) seminar on the role of women in the armed forces, Singh said the concept of security is undergoing a “paradigm shift” and the member states of the grouping will have to deal with challenges like terrorism collectively.

    “The concept of security is undergoing a paradigm shift. The changing character of war is bringing threats from our borders to within our society and amongst the people. Terrorism is just the most obvious and diabolical manifestation of this reality,” he said.

    “It has been employed as a weapon of choice by non-state actors and irresponsible states alike for the furtherance of their political objectives,” Singh said at the virtual event.

    The defence minister said the SCO has rejected terrorism in all its manifestations, noting that women have been and will remain equal contributors in the fight against the menace.

    “The SCO as an organisation has unequivocally rejected terrorism in all its manifestations and forms.

    The reality further reinforces the role of all citizens of the SCO in this fight against the common threat that is challenging us,” he said.

    “This fight cannot be won by half the population of our region or a country. Women have been and will remain equal contributors in this fight, both within the armed forces and beyond,” he said.

    In his speech, the defence minister also provided a brief overview of the role being played by women in the Indian armed forces.

    “Our future is in our hands. It is for the SCO nations to ensure regional stability, promote peace, ensure gender equality and work towards the betterment of the entire region.

    We look forward to much greater participation and a bigger role of women in various tasks of the armed forces,” he said.

    In his address, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said the character of a war has evolved from a predominantly conventional one to a hybrid and grey-zone warfare, adding that cyberspace and outer space are the new revolutionary domains of war fighting.

    “In consequence, the distinction between the roles of men and women in modern day war fighting is getting blurred by the day. The notion of gender gap is passe,” he said.

    The Chief of Defence Staff said women have proved their mettle in demanding combat roles such as fighter pilots, paratroopers, submariners and the like, and their abilities in the cognitive and information domains are unmatched.

    “Indeed, across the globe, countries are gaining valuable experience in the contribution of women warriors and the views shared today will help chart the course for the growing role of women in the emerging combat environment,” he said.

    Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Reenat Sandhu said the past decades have opened up new vistas for women in the Indian armed forces and the women military officers have created a niche for themselves at the global level in UN peacekeeping missions.

    She said India created history in 2007 by deploying the first ever all-female Formed Police Unit (FPU) for UN Peacekeeping in Liberia.

    “Due to their dedication, professionalism and motivation, the all-female Formed Police Unit proved to be a strong, visible role-model, gaining worldwide attention and illustrating the significant contribution that women can make towards global peace and security,” Sandhu said.

    Representatives from almost all the SCO countries participated at the online conference organised by India.

  • J&K militants attempting to recreate early 1990 situation, scare minorities: Experts

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Security experts are sensing a shift in the pattern of militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir as four non-Muslim civilians have been gunned down in the Valley in the last five days. They feel the militants are aiming to create fear among minority communities and recreate the situation of early 1990s in Kashmir. 

    “Yes, there is a pattern in the violence. It is to create panic and gain relevance on the part of militant organisations functioning under the ISI’s umbrella,” Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told TNIE. 

    He said the militants outfits could be aiming to recreate the situation of the early 1990s, whereby political Islam could be brought to bear through the purging of minorities. “It may have succeeded then to an extent but we are far stronger today to not fall prey to the designs of our adversaries,” said Lt Gen Hasnain, who had also served as GoC of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps.  

    Retired J&K police chief S P Vaid said militants kept on changing their plans. “First they were targeting BJP leaders and now they are targeting minority community members. They want to spread fear and terror,” he said. Vaid said there was a clear change in the pattern of violence as militants wanted to prevent their own casualties by avoiding direct confrontation with security personnel and targeting soft targets. The former police chief said killings would continue till the militant group involved in such killings was neutralised. 

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said due to the killing of large number of militants, their handlers across got frustrated and changed their strategy.  “In all such cases, militants have been using pistols. These acts are committed by newly recruited militants or those who are about to join militant rank.”

  • Indian Army foils infiltration bid by heavily armed terrorists along LoC

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The Army has foiled a major infiltration bid by a group of heavily armed terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said on Friday.

    The infiltration attempt was detected by alert troops of the Indian Army, defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said.

    “A group of heavily armed Pakistani terrorists attempted to infiltrate along the LoC in Poonch sector last night (Thursday),” he said.

    “The infiltrators were challenged and heavy firing ensued,” the spokesman said.

    Owing to undulating terrain and heavy undergrowth, the terrorists managed to break contact and escape back towards Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) under the cover of darkness, he said.

    A thorough search of the encounter site was carried out, and a huge quantity of supplies left behind by the terrorists was recovered, including clothing, packaged food items and medicines with Pakistani markings, Lt Col Anand said.

    The Indian Army maintains a determined resolve to thwart any infiltration attempts or nefarious designs by anti-national elements, he said.

  • Stringent measures being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists: Jitendra Singh 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said stringent measures are being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and though it has been controlled to a large extent, it may not have stopped completely.

    Addressing an event here, the minister of state for personnel said even though effective border fencing is in place and thermal detection is also carried out, security forces have come across underground tunnels used by infiltrators coming from across the border.

    Singh said security forces are performing their duty with utmost sincerity and diligence, but it is also the responsibility of the local population to cooperate in detection and checking of these underground routes.

    “Stringent measures are being taken to check border infiltration by terrorists, which has been brought under control to a large extent but may not have stopped completely,” he said.

    Referring to the construction of family bunkers for the safety of people living along the Line of Control (LoC), modern household toilets in border areas and roads along the International Border, Singh said for the first time since independence, several sensitive decisions have been taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the people living along the border.

    He said those who say nothing has been done by the Modi government must visit the family bunkers before arriving at conclusions while sitting in their drawing rooms.

    Barely 10 to 12 km from the venue of this function, family bunkers with all amenities, almost equivalent to a one-room residential flat, have been constructed for long stay and shelter in the event of border firing.

    Singh said the real question is why the previous governments did not address people’s long-pending demand for bunkers.

    The minister also attended a function at Reasi that was organised by Saksham, a social organisation working for disabled people. Singh said the Modi government’s approach is to ensure empowerment of the weaker sections of society and that they get appropriate respect.

    For this, he said, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has taken several important decisions in recent times like increasing the reservation quota in jobs for ‘Divyangs’ including acid attack victims.

  • All gaps in Indian borders will be plugged by end of 2021: Amit Shah 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday asserted that unfenced gaps along India’s over 7,500-km-long land border will be sealed by the end of this year, thus covering areas that lead to infiltration and smuggling of arms and narcotics.

    He also asserted that India’s security policy was either “influenced or was overlapping” with the foreign policy and it was only after Narendra Modi became prime minister that the country got an independent security strategy.

    Shah also gave away gallantry medals to the serving personnel and to the family members of those who were killed in the line of duty from the country’s largest frontier force.

    “I assure that there will be no gap in our fencing from 2022,” he said.

    Shah said about three per cent of the unfenced area leaves a “big gap” and makes the border vulnerable for infiltration of terrorists and other border crimes like smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics among others.

    The Modi government has been plugging these gaps after resolving administrative obstacles and even by talking to neighbouring countries, he said.

    “I believe that (ensuring) border security is (ensuring) national security,” Shah said adding they are developing a “new model” of the border fence that cannot be cut or broken.

    He also spoke about the security policy of the Modi government.

    “I used to think if there is a security policy of this country or not? Till Narendra Modi became the prime minister we did not have any independent security policy,” Shah said.

    “It was either influenced by foreign policy or it was overlapping with the foreign policy,” he said.

    After Modi became prime minister, the country got an independent security policy.

    “Our idea is to have peaceful relations with all but if someone disturbs our borders, if someone challenges our sovereignty, the priority of our security policy is that such an attempt will be replied in the same language,” Shah said.

    He said this security policy was a “big achievement” as the country wanted such a good plan.

    “I believe without this (security policy) neither the country can progress nor democracy can prosper,” the home minister said “Modiji (PM) has done this big job.

    I do not want to give examples as it is well known,” he said adding the policy was made operational on the ground by his government.

    Shah said India was working to soon develop an indigenous counter-drone technology, which is being carried out by technical organisations like the DRDO and some other agencies.

    His comments came in the backdrop of the first-ever drone attack on the IAF station in Jammu last month where two unmanned aerial vehicles dropped bombs injuring two airmen and damaging a portion of a building inside.

    He added that the security establishment of the country is preparing a long-drawn project to thwart artificial intelligence and robotic technology enabled attacks from across the borders.

    Shah gave out figures to showcase how the Modi government worked to enhance and fortify border security.

    He said while only 3,600 km of border roads were made between 2008-14, the period between 2014-20 (Modi being the PM) it has seen a jump of 3.5 times with 4,764 km of these roads being constructed.

    The budget for this job was enhanced from Rs 23,000 crore to 44,000 crore, a total of 14,450 metres of bridges were made during 2014-20 as compared to 7,270 metres made during 2008-14, he said.

    While one border tunnel for transportation was made earlier, six tunnels have been made by the Modi government in the last one year while 19 such structures are in the pipeline, Shah said.

    Similarly, a total of 170 km of border roads were resurfaced during 2008-14 and it was enhanced to 380 km after the Modi government came to power.

    The cutting and formatting of roads along the China border has now been enhanced to 470 km per year as compared to the earlier 230 km per year.

    Shah said the government has sanctioned 32 more border roads measuring about 683 km for the Sino-India frontier.

    “The prime minister believes that till border infrastructure is upgraded and strengthened the security forces will not be able to do their job properly.”

    “The PM has said that if border infrastructure is not proper the local population will continue to migrate from these areas and this will make our borders unsafe,” he said.

    The home minister stressed that forces like the BSF should take steps to ensure that border population is provided all basic amenities and that they do not migrate to other area because of these issues.

    The officers of these forces should execute “out of routine” thinking and plan so that we are two steps ahead of the adversary, he said.

    He asked them to maintain “regular touch” with their troops, resolve their problems and also take feedback from them.

    BSF DG Rakesh Asthana said during the event that the force has made 61 drone sightings and unearthed 4 tunnels along the western front in the last one year.

    The about 2.65 lakh personnel strong BSF guards over 6,300 km of Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh on the east.

    Ministers of state for home Nityanand Rai, Ajay Kumar Mishra, home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau director Arvind Kumar and RAW chief Samant Goel attended the event.

  • ‘J&K security grid tight, no need to fear foreign militants’  

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  The prospects of a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan have spooked many as they fear that foreign militants may once again be pushed into Jammu and Kashmir, but security experts feel that there will not be a significant impact on the Kashmir situation.

    Former state police chief S P Vaid said it is possible that militants fighting in Afghanistan will be diverted to Kashmir but he asserted that things had changed in the last 20 years and that there was a much better and foolproof security grid which will not make infiltration very easy.

    “The ground situation has also changed. Border fencing and electronic surveillance equipment have been deployed along the line of control to foil any infiltration attempts from across the border,” he said. Asked about the large scale infiltration of foreign militants in the mid-1990s (see graphic), Vaid said due to the Kargil war lot of army troops had been withdrawn from the LoC, leaving gaps.

    “But now those gaps don’t exist and strong anti-infiltration measures have been put in place to foil infiltration attempts of,” said. Recently, Lt Gen D P Pandey, the commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said there had been zero infiltration of militants into Kashmir from across the LoC this year.

    Retired general and former 15 Corps commander, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, said when the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, there was lot of chaos and a lot of foreign militants, including Afghans, Tajiks, Sudanese and Saudis, were pushed into Kashmir.

    “This process started in 1991. The foreign militants who were left over from the Afghanistan war continued to infiltrate into J&K till 2001-02. But, the retired general said repeating 1991 in 2021 would not be possible.

    “Whatever manpower Taliban has it will be busy in Afghanistan. Pakistan has a lot of interests in Afghanistan and for some time Pakistan will not see towards Kashmir,” Lt. Gen Hasnain said. Another former J&K police chief Kuldip Khoda said there has never been a high presence of Afghan militants in J&K. “There was very little presence of Afghans, the foreign militants are mostly Pakistanis,” he said.

    According to him, Taliban does not show much interest in Kashmir. “Whatever instances there have been in the past, they have been negligible and these, too, have been at the behest of the Pakistan army and the ISI,” Khoda said.

  • Two Pakistani terrorists, as many jawans killed near LoC

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  Two Pakistani terrorists and as many soldiers, including a Naib Subedar, were killed in fierce gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K’s Rajouri district on Thursday. Incidentally, the Army had on Wednesday foiled an infiltration attempt in Nowshera sector by gunning down a Pakistani militant.

    The defence spokesperson in Jammu said based on information regarding infiltration and movement of militants in Sundarbani sector, the army had launched extensive search operations from June 29. The information was corroborated and a search patrol of army spotted the militants in Dadal forest area.

    “The militants were challenged and they opened fire and lobbed hand grenades towards the security men. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering a fierce encounter,” the spokesperson said. In the ensuing gunfight, two Pakistani militants and two army men were killed. The martyred soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Sreejith M and Sepoy Maruprolu Jaswanth Reddy. 

    “Two AK-47 rifles and ammunition have been recovered from the deceased militants,” the defence spokesperson said. While search operation was on till the last reports came in, additional troops were rushed to tighten the siege. 

  • BSF uncovers 150 metre-long tunnel in Samba district along Pakistan border

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday found a tunnel along the International Border (IB) in Samba district, with its mouth opening on the Pakistan side. Investigations are on to find out whether the 150 metre-long, 30 metre-deep tunnel was used by infiltrators, given all passes have been blocked due to the heavy snowfall in the region. The officials recovered made-in-Karachi sandbags, pointing towards connivance of the Pakistan establishment.

    BSF men entering a tunnel | PTIInspector General BSF, Jammu, N S Jamwal said his men detected the tunnel during an anti-tunnel drive at Bobiyan village along the border with Pakistan in Samba district. The drive was launched based on intelligence reports on the possibility of tunnels along the border in the districts of Samba and Kathua. Officials said the diameter of the tunnel spanned two-three feet.

    The Karachi-made sandbags and the tunnel’s mouth opening in Pakistan’s territory indicated the involvement of Pakistan establishment, Jamwal said. When asked if the tunnel was newly-dug, Jamwal said, “It seems to be an old tunnel. The condition of the sandbags indicates it is not newly dug.” The BSF IG said that investigations were underway to ascertain if the tunnel was used recently.

    A BSF official said that after the recent heavy snowfall closed all infiltration passes to Kashmir, Pakistani troops were trying to push armed militants into J&K through tunnels in Jammu. However, he said that the border guards were equipped to meet any challenge, with the officials intensifying the anti-tunnel drive along the IB in Jammu region.