Intel agencies alert forces along LoC, as 300 terrorists ‘waiting to cross over’ ahead of festivities

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 27

Intelligence agencies have alerted the security forces that nearly 300 trained terrorists are waiting along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region to cross over ahead of the coming festival seasons, including the Independence Day, and create trouble.

Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Intelligence agencies have sounded alert that nearly 300-odd trained terrorists have moved near LoC and are now looking for opportunities to cross over at places like Kupwara, Gurez, Bandipora and Uri in the North Pir Panjal of the Kashmir valley. Movements of such terrorists have also been seen along the LoC near Samba and Rajouri-Poonch in Jammu.

Even as security forces have reasonably been successful in stemming infiltration bids along the LoC Kupwara and south of Pir Panjal, sources in the security establishment said the armed forces are aware that they can’t lower the guard both in Jammu and the Kashmir Valley, particularly when they have been alerted “Pakistan’s ISI and terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are waiting for an opportunity to look for gaps in the security grid to disrupt the peace in the valley”.

The sources said thus keeping in view the heightened threats in the coming days the security agencies have been asked to remain on a high vigil, particularly in the light of upcoming festivals like Eid, Rakshabandhan and Independence Day.

The inputs are specific to suggest that Pak-based terrorists were seen looking for infiltration routes falling in these areas, they added.

According to officials in the security establishment two terrorists were killed at the LoC on July 11 while making bids to infiltrate, as three of them were injured on June 30 in a similar attempt. These attempts were made from Pakistani posts, Chakpatra or Tariq under Mandal sector (Leepa Valley), opposite the Tungdhar sector in Kupwara, they added.

The intelligence sources later confirmed that after they were injured they were taken to the Field Trauma Centre in Leepa run by Pakistan Army. Similarly, on May 25, three terrorists were killed along LoC in Naushera area of Rajouri sector.