The Amarnath attack validated the Centre바카라s how-to on ridding Kashmir of terrorism
바카라This time, it is a fight to the finish. It is not about containing terror anymore. It is about destroying the roots of terrorism and the infrastructure that supports it.바카라 That바카라s the gist of what National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval said at the meeting of top security and intelligence officers after the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 10, which killed seven yatris.
The gunning down of the pilgrims, on their way back from the Amarnath shrine, has evidently further steeled the Modi government바카라s resolve. The security forces had already been pursuing a robust and aggressive policy in Kashmir, with several top terrorists killed in the past few months. The attack on the pilgrims바카라the first since 2002 when 11 yatris were killed as their camp was targeted바카라is being seen as a reaction to government바카라s tough stance. 바카라Terrorists are being hunted down and killed,바카라 says an official in the country바카라s security establishment. 바카라As many as 104 terrorists have been killed in major operations since January this year, compared to 150 in 2016. The att-ack on the pilgrims is the result of growing frustration among the top commanders of terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen.바카라
It is not just about neutralising terrorists on the ground. The government has launched a multi-pronged attack, and sympathisers, financiers and 바카라overground workers바카라 of the terror groups are also being targeted. 바카라It is a coordinated approach,바카라 the officer explains. 바카라The security forces바카라the army, CRPF and state police바카라are doing the job on the ground and agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax are working to choke the flow of funds.바카라 Funding of Hurriyat leaders is already under investigation.
In addition to handling terrorists on Indian soil, the security forces are also engaged in a war of attrition across the LoC. 바카라Training and sending terrorists has been a part of low-intensity, low-cost warfare by Pakistan against India,바카라 the official continues. 바카라We have to inflict a cost on Pakistan. It is time they paid for exporting terror to India. Surgical strikes by Indian army commandos was just one such measure. There are other measures planned that we better not talk about.바카라
Former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain says the frustration among terrorists is evident from the change in the nature of the conflict. 바카라Unarmed policemen are being attacked,바카라 he tells Outlook. 바카라A DSP was lynched. An armyman on leave was killed. It has increasingly become clear that the terrorists do not have any qualms anymore. There was definitely an enhanced threat to the Amarnath yatra.바카라
And yet the strategic confidence of Pakistan is 바카라pretty high바카라, owing to Chinese support. 바카라Terror outfits like the LeT are under intense pressure,바카라 says Hasnain. 바카라They needed to create such a big event to try and regain some relevance. The Chittisinghpura attack in 2000 was a similar attempt by the LeT.바카라
Top government sources confirm that intelligence inputs had already indicated possible attacks during the Amarnath yatra that commenced on June 29 and will culminate on August 7. 바카라More than 14,000 additional forces were pumped in,바카라 sources tell Outlook. 바카라The security grid has been further strengthened since the attack. The 5,000 additional army personnel, on yatra duty presently, will not be sent out of Kashmir after it is over. They are all going to spread out in the four worst-affected districts of restive south Kashmir바카라Kulgam, Pulwama, Anantnag and Shopian바카라to ferret the terrorists out of their hiding places.바카라
Unequivocal instructions have been issued to security forces that as soon as intelligence is received about terrorists moving in the area or hiding in a safe house, the best available team at hand should go for the kill바카라the army바카라s elite Special Forces team or that of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), a force that is permanently stationed in the state for counter-insurgency operations, or the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police. Sources say the number of Special Forces teams, comprising the best-trained army commandos, has been increased in the Valley. The army has also issued a 바카라Kill List바카라 for the first time as part of Operation All-Out. It has names of 258 terrorists from various outfits, the majority being from LeT. Many of the terrorists on the list have already been killed.
Coordination among the security forces is being improved and all operations are now called 바카라joint operations바카라, to avoid any confusion or competition for credit among army, paramilitary forces and the police. The standard operating procedures for the forces have also been changed in order to prevent fatalities among the personnel. 바카라We do not want a repeat of incidents like Pampore last year, when two young captains of Special Forces lost their lives while trying to evict terrorists from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute building where they were hiding,바카라 says a senior army officer.
The orders are clear: make announcements on loudspeakers to call out the terrorists from the hiding place. And if they do not respond, burn the structure down. Sources claim this new combative policy serves a dual purpose. 바카라It acts as a deterrent for sympathisers who may be helping them hide. Also, it seems the terrorists don바카라t want to be burnt alive. In a few cases, they have actually come out and surrendered,바카라 reveals the officer.
A week before the attack on Amarnath pilgrims, the security forces had killed four Hizbul terrorists in Pulwama as they brought the house down following a two-day encounter. 바카라The terrorists are definitely seething. They have succeeded in Amarnath, but we have to ensure they do not succeed again,바카라 he says.
On its part, the government is backing the security forces to the hilt in their efforts to rid the state of terrorism. Minister of state in the PMO Jitendra Singh says a decisive headway has been made in the fight against terrorism in the past few months. 바카라Now, it has entered the final phase,바카라 says Singh.
A senior BJP leader tells Outlook that no security operation can succeed without implicit government backing. 바카라It바카라s after a long time that the government, the NSA, his hand-picked army chief, besides other security forces, are working in total sync. The army chief commending Major Leetul Gogoi (for using a civilian as a human shield) was a big step in the face of protests and opposition from a section of the people. Even Union ministers came out in his support. That gesture has done wonders to the morale of security forces in the Valley,바카라 says the BJP leader.
Some BJP leaders admit there was confusion for some time when their differences with the PDP appeared insurmountable. 바카라It was bound to happen as two polarised parties, standing for two diametrically opposite things, came together trying to run the government in a state like J&K,바카라 says counter-terrorism expert Ajai Sahni.
Sources claim the RSS too was unhappy with the situation in J&K. 바카라They were in favour of ending the alliance, imposing President바카라s rule and then going after the terrorists,바카라 says a senior BJP leader. 바카라With CM Mehbooba Mufti finally on board now with the Centre바카라s proactive, aggressive approach, things seem to have smoothened out. However, the attack on yatris has upset the Sangh again.바카라
Party president Amit Shah met senior Sangh leaders Bhaiyyaji Joshi and Krishna Gopal on Thursday, July 13, and apprised them of the situation. The party is certain that the situation does not call for President바카라s rule as that would be an admission of failure to run the coalition government. The BJP, though, is not taking any chances. Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh has been clearly told that he should not waste any time and intensify efforts to strengthen the party in Jammu and Ladakh.