Rahul Datta

With nearly 90 battle-hardened terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) now without leadership after their top commanders were killed in encounters last year, the ISI and the Pakistan Army are now trying to identify either local Kashmiris to hold the mantle, or if need be, infiltrate fighters from across the Line of Control (LoC) to take charge.

Moreover, efforts are on by the masterminds in Pakistan to divide Jammu & Kashmir into four zones for the LeT to raise levels of violence in the coming days. The four zones are Jammu, South, Central and North Kashmir, as per Intelligence reports. This desperate measure is adopted after at least five LeT leaders, categorised as category A plus, were killed by security forces thereby leaving a void. The deceased included Abu Al Mansoor, Abu Dujana, Abu Haris and Bashir Lashkari.

The security establishment is worried over these developments as LeT is a well-organised terrorist outfit with no dearth of funds and weapons besides a determined lot of ultras known to plan and execute terrorist incidents “very well” in the State, officials said here on Saturday. When engaged, these terrorists retaliate in a disciplined manner like trained soldiers and manage to inflict casualties before fighting it out till the end, they added.

Expecting a “hot summer”, the security forces are also concerned over the fact that at least 35 to 40 determined fighters, mostly foreigners, of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are also present in Kashmir and mountainous terrain of North Kashmir. Intelligence reports indicate that the ISI is trying to forge a unity amongst the JeM, LeT and the Hizbul Mujahideen to sustain terrorism. While Hizbul Mujahideen cadre are mostly local Kashmiris, the JeM comprises foreigners. The LeT is a mix of local and foreign ultras.

Giving break-up of terrorist strength, sources said at least 250 ultras are active in Kashmir including 35 to 40 from the JeM, 90 from the LeT and the rest owing allegiance to the Hizbul Mujahideen.

In case, Pakistan agencies are able to have unity amongst the three groups, it will pose a serious challenge to maintain peace, they admitted.

As it is, the last fortnight has seen a spurt in number of incidents mostly engineered by the Hizbul Mujaindeen in South Kashmir. At least four to five terrorist related incidents, though not very serious in nature, are taking place every day as compared to one per day till about a few months back. The incidents included snatching of rifles from a police station and a bank guard, lobbing grenades at a paramilitary camp and firing at a security patrol. Incidentally, nearly 250 incidents of weapon snatching were recorded in the last three years.

Elaborating upon this aspect, officials said the Hizbul Mujahideen has the muscle strength in terms of number of ultras besides at least 50 raw recruits, mostly misguided youths. However, the terrorist organisation now needs weapons and therefore is resorting to snatching. These crimes are committed by the new entrants who are then ordered to carry out a terrorist incident like firing on security forces. Once a new recruit has done so, he is not able to return to normal life as the security forces start tracking him.

It ensures that the Hizbul Mujahideen never falls short of willing fighters and most of its cadres are now concentrated in four trouble-prone district of South Kashmir, they said, adding, the presence of 150 to 170 terrorists is “huge number”.

Courtesy: Pioneer -Sunday, 29 April 2018