Spurt in terror attacks not imminent threat to upcoming J&K polls: Security experts

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed in a hit-and-run terror attack in the remote Dadu area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhumpur district on Aug 19.

A counter-terror operation which was launched in the area soon after the attack is still underway, according to a police official. The latest terror attack in Udhumpur is an addition to a spate of attacks in recent weeks and in the run-up to the upcoming assembly polls beginning September 18 in the Union Territory, after a decade.

Pakistan-backed terrorists mostly hiding in mountainous areas of the Jammu region may make desperate attempts to disrupt the upcoming polls in the Union Territory, say the security experts, while ruling out an imminent threat to the electoral process.

At least 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 anti-terror operations till July 21 this year in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

‘Extensive & robust anti-terror grid’

The security experts call for an extensive and robust anti-terror grid to be in place to fight terrorists or keep them at bay at least for now to ensure peaceful elections.

“There has been an escalation in terrorist violence particularly in the Jammu region during the past two months, which is indeed a matter of concern. All we need is a robust anti-terror grid to eliminate the Pakistan-backed terrorists operating mostly in hilly areas of Jammu region,” SP Vaid, former director general of Jammu and Kashmir police, told Education Post, in an exclusive chat.

“But we should not ignore the security scenario in the rest of the Union Territory is relatively better and there is no imminent threat to the upcoming elections. The Election Commissioner of India and other senior officials recently visited the Union Territory to assess the situation and expressed satisfaction,” Vaid added.

The human intelligence network particularly in terrorist-affected areas of Jammu must be strengthened to deal with hit-and-run terror attacks and also gunfights often initiated by terrorists during search operations, according to the former DGP.

“Even when the terrorism was at its peak in 1996 and 2002, the elections were completed. Authorities need to focus more on the Jammu region and sufficient deployment of security forces must be made to ensure political rallies or leaders are not targeted by terrorists,” Vaid added.

A large number of highly trained Pakistan-backed terrorists equipped with sophisticated American long-range snipers and other such weapons are posing grave challenges to security forces in the Jammu region, according to Asrar Khan, former Deputy Inspector general of Jammu and Kashmir police.

“I think the CRPF officer was also killed by the long-range sniper fire by terrorists, which indicates they are equipped with sophisticated weapons. The terrorists have occupied high altitude and nearly inaccessible peaks and mountains to their advantage” Khan told Education Post.

“There is a need to strengthen the source network and anti-terror security grid to launch a major offensive against them. Their concentration is mostly in higher reaches of Kishtawar, Doda, Baderwah, Gool Gulabgarh, and Banihal areas and we need to focus on such areas,” he added.

Khan emphasized the need to further tighten the security cover, particularly along the Kathua- Akhnoor border to prevent infiltration of terrorists. “The gaps along the border must be plugged and the patrolling of troops enhanced to ensure infiltration does not take place. Kathua has proximity to the Pakistan border, which can not be ignored. Terrorists will make desperate attempts to disrupt the electoral process by targeting security forces or even the election rallies,” Khan said.

“The logistic support terrorists are getting from locals must be addressed at the earliest by sufficiently arming Village Defence Guards (VDGs). Regular confidence-building meetings should be held with locals for effective anti-terror operations in Jammu areas,” he added.

VDGs is a civilian militia that was first established in the mid-1990s in some hilly villages of Jammu for the self-defense of locals against terrorists but the authorities disarmed them gradually over the years as the security situation improved until recently.

The prevailing security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir is not so grim as to harm upcoming elections, believes Ajai Sahni, founder and Executive Director of the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management and South Asia Terrorism Portal.

“Elections were held in 1996 and also 2002 when rampant terror-related incidents were happening in most parts of Kashmir and in some parts of Jammu region as well. The prevailing security situation is much better and I would say it is suitable for the electoral process” Sahni told Education Post.

“The formation of an elected government in Union Territory is much needed to enable people to have access to elected representatives and resolve public issues. Fighting insurgents is a little long battle and security scenario should not become an obstacle in conducting elections in the UT,” he added.

The polls, the first since Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory in 2019 and in a decade, will be completed on October 1. The results will be declared on October 4.

‘Recent terror attacks & high-level security review’

Two soldiers and a civilian were killed in a gunfight with terrorists in south Kashmir’s Anantnag on Aug 10. The Jammu region has recently witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, and gunbattle in Doda and Udhampur districts.

Meanwhile, the union government is closely monitoring the deteriorating security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of a spate of terror attacks mostly in the Jammu region in recent weeks.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Aug 14 convened a high-level security review meeting which was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, and officials of other security agencies. The Defence Secretary and the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) were also present at the meeting.

Intelligence reports recently suggested that the terrorists may target highways, the lifeline in Jammu and Kashmir. In the wake of a spurt in terrorist violence and intelligence reports, the union government deployed more CRPF troops along with Jammu and Kashmir police personnel to patrol highways and adjacent areas.