Conflict in Jammu and Kashmir has intensified with recent attacks indicative of a worrying trend: the use of sophisticated weaponry and liquid IEDs by militants.
Notable incidents include the deadly ambush in Reasi, which killed nine and injured 41, and the Poonch attack in Buffliaz, where four security personnel lost their lives.
A recent encounter in Pulwama ended with the deaths of two Lashkar militants, one of whom was the group's longest-surviving member. The aftermath revealed the alarming fact that advanced weapons were being used in the attacks.
In Kathua, where two militants and a soldier were killed, security forces recovered a significant cache of arms, including a US-made M4 carbine rifle.
Days after the Pulwama encounter, with the help of an Over Ground Worker (OGW) associated with slain Lashkar commander Riyaz Ahmad Dar, security forces uncovered two IEDs weighing around 6 kg hidden in an orchard.
After careful observation experts found it to be liquid IED – not seen in Kashmir since 2007, are a "difficult-to-detect" (d2d) threat.
"Liquid explosives pose a significant threat as they cannot be detected with conventional methods used by Road Opening Parties (RoP) or sniffer dogs," an official explained.
In February 2022, Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered arms, including three bottles of suspected TNT or nitroglycerine liquid, air-dropped by drones from Pakistan.
This indicates a troubling shift in militant tactics, leveraging drone technology for weapons delivery.
Officials fear these sophisticated explosives may have infiltrated the Kashmir Valley through successful drone drops, further complicating the security landscape.
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