Basantgarh Encounter

The Rising Kashmir has been continuously decoding the series of terrorist attacks that are taking place in Jammu from quite a long time now. That includes the continuous targeting of the army and the security forces in Rajouri. Battle hardened terrorists have been involved in the ambush to impose heavy casualties on the armed forces. Last week there was the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Rajouri and the security forces also nabbed a school teacher who was acting as the sleeper in Poonch. Terrorists are utilising the dense forests as their hideouts that are along the borders with Pakistan. It has enabled them to maintain their strong hold over the areas that have forest cover. This time Basantgarh in the Udhampur district of Jammu has witnessed the encounter between the security forces and the terrorists. It has led to the martyrdom of a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member. Terrorists have sneaked into the forests. Security forces have taken the services of the  para commandos. Two helicopters have also been operationalized to nab the terrorists. The Rising Kashmir has repeatedly said in its editorials that the trend of these attacks is not an ordinary one. It has many dimensions that need to be internalised in order to frame the comprehensive pro- active policy to save innocent lives. Patrons of these terrorists want to disrupt the Lok Sabha Election to develop fear psychosis among the masses. The conduction of Lok Sabha Elections peacefully with the enthusiastic participation of the masses has unnerved the saboteurs. Moreover the  tightening  of the noose by the security agencies has put the terror groups on the back foot in Kashmir valley. This includes the direct assault on their financial assets and the allied resources. Besides the nabbing of the masterminds of these terror groups. This strategy has forced the terror modules to shift the theatre of war from Jammu to Kashmir. As the watchful eyes of the agencies have made it difficult for the terror groups to make their presence felt in the valley. In order to regroup and indulge in a visible assault they are utilising new spaces in Jammu and Kashmir. Increase in the attacks on the security forces and use of Improvised explosive Devices (IEDs) in Jammu is the implementation of that strategy. Encirclement of Jammu region is definitely the motive of these terror attacks. Targeted killings in Kashmir and the assault on the security forces must be seen in tandem. These are meant to send the signal that the terrorist outfit still call the shots and have not lost the wherewithal to inflict the casualties with impunity. The Basantgarh attack must raise the alarm. As this means that after strengthening their foothold in Rajouri and Poonch terror outfits want to send the signal that they can hit and run in any of the districts of Jammu. When terrorism erupted in the valley in 1989-1990, Jammu witnessed relative peace. But now it seems that the terror masterminds operating from Pakistan that have sleeper cells in both Jammu and Kashmir  have decided to extend the war of attrition to impose heavy costs and increase casualties. The increase in the number of terrorist attacks in Jammu must make the security agencies put their heads together and analyse as to what has enabled the terror modules to violate peace in Jammu. We have witnessed killings and massacres of the innocents in the Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar when Kashmir was on the boil in 1990’s.If these acts of terrorism are not neutralised then it may pose serious threats and encourage the terror groups to orchestrate massacres of groups of people. This will lead to social tensions  and sharpening of communal fault lines. That has to be nipped in the bud. Terror groups must be discouraged from doing that by imposing heavy cost on them. Jammu is on the terror radar and as such intelligence and operations against terror groups must be  well coordinated.