Anxiety growing in Rajouri-Poonch districts

Security forces need to launch another ‘Sarp Vinash’ type successful operation to eliminate terrorists in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch where Pakistani agencies have shifted their focus to revive terrorism.

At least 20 soldiers and nine civilians have been killed in the past few months in the two districts along the Line of Control (LOC) with the Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) where most of the terrorist training and launch pads operated by the Pakistan Army and ISI are located in Bhimber, Mirpur, Kotli and Rawlakote.

The ongoing ‘Operation Trinetra’ that has been launched to flush out the terrorists who have killed 10 soldiers of the Indian Army in two attacks since 20 April, has not been that
successful as the security forces have so far succeeded in eliminating only one Pakistani terrorist.

The situation is turning serious although Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit here on 13 January after the targeted killing of seven persons including two children, in the Dhangri village of Rajouri on 1 January, announced that within 3 months the security agencies will cast a 360-degree net to wipe out terrorism from the Jammu division and also provide safety to the people.

Poonch-Rajouri districts have since October 2021 witnessed five targeted terror attacks. But what is worrying is that terrorists have managed to escape after targeting the Army personnel or civilians. Movement of a group of terrorists involved in the civilian killings in Dhangri was reportedly recorded on camera while they were having food in a house days after the civilian killings.

After the targeted attack by terrorists at an Army truck on 20 April when five soldiers were killed, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said that such attacks cannot happed without local support to the terrorists. Several civilians have been questioned and a couple arrested for having given shelter to these terrorists.

Operation Sarp Vinash was undertaken by the Army in April 2003 to flush out terrorists who had made concrete bunkers in Hilkaka of the Poonch district. As many as 64 terrorists of various outfits were killed during the Operation. Thereafter, the two districts witnessed peace during the past 20 years as terrorism was wiped out in the Pir Panjal range.

However, the situation is taking a U-Turn with highly trained terrorists recording their presence by indulging in innocent killings and managing to escape from the highly guarded districts. Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi and DGP Dilbag Singh have made several visits to the two districts to supervise the ongoing Operation to track down the terrorists.

However, the inhospitable topography of the area that has dense foliage, rocky, steep cliffs and also natural caves has made the task of the Army difficult. The difficult terrain is posing a challenge for the Indian Army and other security forces. Ten soldiers including 5 elite Paratroopers, were lost in two terror attacks within a fortnight although the ‘Romeo Force’ of the Rashtriya Rifles was relentlessly conducting operations to flush out the terrorists from the forest area. The terrorist attacks in Bhatta Durian and Kandi

forest area have come almost back to back.

It is worth mentioning that nine soldiers, including two junior commissioned officers, were killed during a long stretched encounter with terrorists in the Poonch district in October 2021. Investigation into these terror attacks by intelligence agencies has zeroed in on, Reyaz Ahmad alias Qasim of Mahore tehsil in Reasi district, Mohammad Amin alias Khubaib alias Haroon of Thathri in Doda and Rafiq Nai alias Sultan of Mendhar in Poonch district of being behind these attacks. These terrorists belonging to J&K were reportedly guiding the Pakistani agencies to plan attacks at the security forces and civilians.

Not only in the Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Pir Panjal Range, but attempts are also being made to revive terrorism in the districts lying along the Chenab river. The NIA special court recently issued non-bailable warrants against 36 terrorists belonging to the Kishtwar district of Jammu division who are operating from Pakistan to revive terrorism in the Chenab river area of Jammu.