Pakistani mercenaries operating in J&K are tricking the youth into terrorism and using them as “terror mules” who can even be eliminated if they plan to shun the path of violence, senior security officials said on Sunday. Referring to an encounter in Budgam earlier this month and the call details of 24-year-old Wasim Qadir Mir, a resident of Shahzadpora, a senior official said, “He wanted to put down his arms probably with an aim to come out and surrender but was forced by the two Pakistani terrorists to keep firing back. Details that emerged later including the post-mortem report further confirmed that Mir was actually killed by members of his own group, as a result of their failed attempts to resist him from surrendering.”

“As far as Kashmir is concerned, Pakistan’s modus operandi continues to remain the same over the years — infiltrate Pakistani terrorists into the Valley in numbers, sizable enough to create and operate cellular groups of 3-4 terrorists, comprising at least one local boy,” the official said.

He said Pakistan’s strategic aim remains to mislead the global community and portray terrorism in J&K as the result of a local uprising and an insurgent movement led by the local youth. They do it by creation of pseudo terror groups, namely Kashmir Tigers and The Resistance Front (TRF), which are shadow outfits of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashker-e-Toiba, respectively.

On recruitment of the local youth into terrorism, the official said local Kashmiri boys, after being employed initially for logistical errands, transportation of arms and ammunition and reconnaissance of potential targets, were later tasked to carry out random acts of terror which include grenade throwing, planting IED, etc. “Once the routes back to a normal civil life are severed, the next step is to recruit them into the terror folds, he added. —

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 16th Jan , 2022