Security forces including the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), are preparing to counter militants during the winter, as snow is likely going to force militants to come down from the mountains to the plains.
While a number of the militants hiding in the mountains of the Jammu region is anybody’s guess, the reports indicated that they are in groups of three to four and putting up separately in the hideouts, which could either be natural caves or some abandoned dhoks.
Officials have devised a multi-pronged strategy involving the men from the J&K police and special operations group (SOG) to tackle these threats, with a special focus on Poonch, Kishtwar, and Doda.
"With heavy snowfall expected from December to February, it will be easier to track and kill terrorists on the plains," officials stated.
Additional troops from the army, paramilitary forces, and JKP have been deployed to take care of the evolving terror threat; they have also set up various new camps in security-sensitive areas to track and monitor militant movements.
Reports also indicate that militants, primarily of Pakistani origin, infiltrate the international border along Jammu and are facilitated and aided by overground workers for supplies.
Police during the recent raids across Jammu and Kashmir have cracked down on this support system critical to militants' survival in the tough, rugged terrain. Many OGWs were arrested, some of whom were later booked under the Public Safety Act.
The Border Security Force (BSF), considered India’s first line of defence, has deployed two additional battalions to prevent the infiltration by plugging some of the frequently used crossings identified by the security forces in Rajouri and Poonch that may be blocked.
"The militants' focus could shift to the International Border during winter," officials noted.
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