In a modification of strategies, fear attire in Jammu and Kashmir are now building elaborately-designed underground bunkers deep inside thick forests and raised ridges rather of nestling in regional homes, authorities stated on Sunday.
This tactical shift, sustained by wearing down regional assistance, provides a brand-new obstacle to the Army and other security forces.
This pertained to fore recently throughout an encounter in the greater reaches of Kulgam district, where 2 terrorists were eliminated. As the operation advanced, security forces discovered a secret trench with provisions, mini gas ranges, and pressure cookers, in addition to weapons and ammo.
One senior gatekeeper, asking for privacy, stated the pattern has actually ended up being extensive in the Kulgam and Shopian districts, in addition to south of Pir Panjal in Jammu area where thick forests offer an ideal camouflage for terrorists.
Security workers have actually handled to trace a few of these brand-new hideouts, authorities are ending up being significantly concerned, specifically after getting intelligence inputs that terrorists have actually been asked to remain in greater and middle of ridges and bring out attacks when directed from throughout the border.
“It’s not the number of kills,” stated one authorities, “It’s a troubling trend that indicates terrorists are now well-established inside these underground bunkers.”
According to retired Lt Gen D S Hooda, who led the effective 2016 surgical strikes, these high-altitude trenches and bunkers are similar to techniques utilized by terrorists in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Lt Gen Hooda, who commanded the tactical Northern Command, likewise flagged a significant concern of lack of human intelligence now, which was among the primary properties in previous counter-terrorism operations.
Still, he is encouraged that the Army will “re-evaluate its strategy” to resolve the brand-new difficulty.
Retired Director General of Puducherry Police, B Srinivas, who invested 3 years with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, echoed this evaluation and stated terrorists are being required to construct these bunkers due to the fact that they can no longer depend on shelters in the areas and towns.
With the regional individuals significantly turning their back on their separatist ideology, penetrating terrorists are now using these secret trenches to avert detection by residents, who they now presume to be informers.
This would be a repeating of what was seen in ‘Operation Sarp Vinash’ back in 2003, when forces had the ability to target hidden fear camps in the Poonch location.
To counter this brand-new obstacle, security firms are preparing to utilize innovation to counter the danger and are looking for to release ground-penetrating radar (GPR)-geared up drones and seismic sensing units for release throughout anti-terror operations.
Drones can reach the hard-to-access locations, whereas GPR and seismic sensing units can determine underground spaces and structural modifications in the earth, hence making it possible to determine the area of such underground bunkers.
The instant goal of the security grid ends up being apparent, which is to enhance intelligence in these forest belts and utilize these fresh instruments to neutralise the staying terrorists.
In the past, the Army dealt with the hazard of underground bunkers and manufactured cavities however that remained in the suburbs, generally in Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian, in 2020-22.
Offering examples, the authorities stated there was a hideout in the middle of Rambi Ara, understood for its changing water levels and frequently impacted by flash floods. The terrorists were concealing inside an iron bunker made in the middle of it. The soldiers saw an opening of an empty oil barrel which was consequently utilized by the terrorists to go into the bunker.
Throughout that duration, reports of more cavities in the standard Kashmiri families and underground bunkers began emerging.
Covered by thick apple trees and located at a height, the Army discovered another underground bunker in Bandpoh where terrorists handled to develop a basement.
The bunker lastly lay exposed after soldiers discovered a polythene sheet covering absolutely nothing and the earth close-by filled just recently.
Another intriguing conceal and look for technique was seen at Labipora in Shopian where terrorists covered an iron box on the banks of a river and kept a little pipeline for breathing while concealing underground.
