News Analysis India

Tag: Terror Groups

  • Infiltration attempts by Pakistan in J-K declined in 2021: Lt Gen DP Pandey

    By ANI

    Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir): General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, Lt General DP Pandey on Friday claimed that the infiltration attempts from the other side of the border into Jammu and Kashmir have gone down this year, adding that terror groups are trying to recruit young children aged 15-16 years.

    “The infiltration attempts are not serious as of now. The numbers have gone down this year. We are vigilant and totally prepared to ensure that no one is able to sneak in,” said Pandey while talking to ANI.

    Pandey also claimed that the violence has also reduced in the Union Territory this year, adding that terrorists are finding it hard to recruit people into the ranks of terrorists.

    Terror groups are finding it hard to recruit well-educated youth between 22-25 years of age. So now they are turning to young children aged 15-16 years old to join the ranks of terrorists. I am sure that these parameters are going in a direction which will ensure a better and safe environment for the people of Kashmir,” he added.

    Regarding the Army’s activities to strengthen its relationship with the common citizens, Pandey said that the Army’s relations with the people are already pretty good and it is reflected in how they are allowed to carry out their operations.

    “We are engaging at various levels with the civil population. We are looking for support from civil society to end this cycle of violence,” he added.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that around 86 local terrorists are currently active in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Notably, Vijay Kumar on Thursday said that the number of active terrorists in the valley has come down to less than 200 while the number of active local terrorists have reduced to less than 100, for the first time in history.

    “We have been able to breach the mark of 200 terrorists in Kashmir, as it has come down to 180. For the first time in history, local terrorists have reduced to less than 100. The count is 85-86 after yesterday’s encounter. So, terrorism is reducing,” said IGP Kashmir said while addressing a joint press conference on the two encounters in Kulgam and Anantnag district.

    He further said that out of 128 local militants who joined militancy this year, 73 were killed while 17 were arrested.

    The encounter which broke out on Wednesday evening in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts, ended this morning with the killing of six JeM terrorists including two Pakistani nationals and an army soldier. 

  • NH-44 in south Kashmir on Jaish, Lashkar target, suggest Intelligence inputs

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the two terror groups that have been working in coordination for some time, are planning to carry out a major attack in south Kashmir by “ripping the national highway to shreds” with a series of IED explosions, intelligence inputs suggest. 

    “There are threats of IED attacks on National Highway-44 from Qazigund to Khanabal axis in south Kashmir,” said a senior intelligence official, who refused to share more details. Although security forces have been taking precautions since the Pulwama attack in February 2019, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, the latest input has sent all security agencies in Kashmir into a tizzy. Sources told TNIE that an even greater vigil was being maintained, especially over the transport of personnel and ammunition.

    According to highly placed sources, several inputs suggesting a “major attack” on the forces have been received since the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan on August 15. Anti-India terror groups such as JeM and LeT, along with outfits such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Badr, which have been lying low over the past few months, have become highly active and collaborative, the intelligence inputs suggest. The JeM, founded by Masood Azhar, has carried out several dastardly attacks in India including the 2001 Parliament attack. There have been reports about Azhar meeting Taliban top leaders in Kandahar in the third week of August, seeking support for ‘India-centric operations’.

    The Taliban and the JeM are believed to have been working in tandem for quite some time now and have expressed similar sentiments in interpreting Sharia. While LeT is the most active group in the Valley, the JeM, desperately trying to make an impact, has been focusing on consolidating its organisation network in south Kashmir, the official said. 

    Worryingly, Ministry of Home Affairs’ data accessed by The New Indian Express shows a total of 305 youths, including 272 from Kashmir, have gone missing this year. Security agencies believe at least 82 of them have joined terror groups, with 42 being recruited by LeT. More than 80 per cent of the new terror recruits belong to south Kashmir, which has been a hotbed of terrorism in Kashmir.