Since launching the first search operation in January this year, security forces have intensified search operations in Jammu region to control terrorist activities.
However, despite the constant vigil there have been several terror attacks here, including ambushes, which have claimed the lives of numerous security personnel, including elite Special Forces, IAF officers, Army officers, and police personnel.
Village Defence Guards and civilians have also lost their lives in these attacks.
Experts suggest that these terrorists are finding it easy to infiltrate from Pakistan because the terrain is suitable for them to launch attacks.
Additionally, some believe the terrorists took advantage of the Lok Sabha elections, at a time when security personnel, especially paramilitary units, were diverted to patrol polling stations.
This shift in focus created gaps in counter-terrorism operations, allowing terrorists to enter Jammu's forests with local assistance.
Initially, until April, the insurgency appeared typical of previous years, but it soon became evident that these terrorists were unlike their predecessors.
They are trained in mountain warfare, hit-and-run tactics, and ambushes, and have been equipped with highly sophisticated weapons, including high-penetration armour-piercing bullets and satellite-guided, highly encrypted communication devices.
These advancements allow them to remain hidden in dense forests and mountainous terrain.
A senior official from the Rajouri police informed reporters, “Due to their sophisticated communication methods, security forces are unable to detect these terrorists.
“In the past, when terrorists used mobile or satellite phones, their locations could be traced. However, advancements in technology and internet access in rural areas of J&K have made them invisible to the forces.”
A noticeable pattern has emerged in these attacks. For instance, in the Dera ki Gali attack last December, terrorists targeted a convoy in a blind turn.
Similarly, in the Poonch attack, where one IAF personnel was killed, the vehicle was ambushed on an unpaved road.
In another incident, a bus was attacked in Reasi when it had to slow down due to sharp turns. Yet again, in Doda, a slow-moving army truck on an unpaved road was targeted.
This indicates that terrorists are avoiding bigger convoys while strategically targeting smaller ones on rugged and poorly built roads, where they are confident of their success.
Intelligence agencies have also discovered that various terrorist groups operating in the upper reaches of the division are in communication with each other, directly or indirectly.
Reports indicate that approximately 40–50 terrorists are moving through the forest areas of Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, and Doda districts.
They move in small groups of 2-4 individuals, do not travel together but occasionally coordinate to launch joint operations against security forces.
“These terrorists communicate with each other through their Pakistani handlers. They are highly trained in remaining disguised in forest areas and seem to have local support, which has enabled them to sustain themselves for a long time,” an Army intelligence source told reporters.
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