Security forces gain upper hand in Kashmir: Terrorists forced out, shift base towards Poonch-Rajouri [details]

A high-level security meeting convened by the top brass of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and intelligence agencies at Rajouri on Saturday evening is an indication that forces are on their toes after a spike in terror activities in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

With the support of the local population, forces have made this border belt almost "free from terrorism" after assiduous efforts but now Pakistan-based terror mentors are desperately trying to revive terror groups in this region.

Although intelligence agencies were keeping a strict vigil on the sensitive areas of this border, forces have decided to devise a fresh strategy to counter terrorism in this mountainous region after the August 11 pre-dawn suicidal attack on an Army camp in the Darhal area of Rajouri district.

After a gap of over five years, terrorists stormed into an Army camp in this belt in which four soldiers including one JCO lost their lives in the gun battle before eliminating two terrorists, believed to be Pakistani.

The nefarious design of Pakistani terrorists to repeat Uri in Rajouri was foiled by alert troops after the supreme sacrifice of four soldiers but this dreaded terror attack has awakened higher-ups from their deep slumber.

Arrest of Hawala operators substantiated reports of reviving terrorism in Poonch-Rajouri.

The Busting of a terror funding module, operating from South Africa to Poonch, has substantiated reports that Pakistan-based terror groups are trying to revive terrorism in these twin-border districts.

A terror funding syndicate was busted with the arrest of two Hawala operatives who were allegedly routing money to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Al Badr.

Abdul Hamid Mir, a resident of Poonch, and Delhi-based garment trader Mohammad Yaseen were arrested from the Jammu bus stand and Turkman Gate on Thursday, and Friday, respectively. Hawala money worth Rs 24 lakh was recovered from them. This money was meant to revive terrorism in Poonch-Rajouri.

Yaseen has reportedly revealed that Hawala money was being routed to India through South Africa and collected in Surat and Mumbai.

He ran a garments business in Meena Bazaar and was the Delhi link to send this money to terror operatives in Jammu and Kashmir through couriers.

High-level security meeting held at Rajouri

Amid a spike in terror activities in these two border districts, a high-level security meeting was held on Saturday at Rajouri to devise an action plan to counter the emerging threat.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh, and senior Army officers among others.

The meeting was also attended by intelligence agencies, brigade commanders, senior superintendents of police of both Rajouri and Poonch, and the superintendent of police (Operations) of Shopian.

According to reports, a detailed discussion was held on the recent trends of terrorist activities in which the intelligence agencies briefed those attending the meeting. An action plan was devised to counter the emerging threat.

The ADGP also visited Thanamandi and was briefed by SSP, Rajouri, Mohammad Aslam, and other officers on the suspected movement of terrorists.

• On January 3, Army foiled an infiltration bid by a group of terrorists in the Hamirpur area of Bhimber Gali Brigade in Rajouri district.
• On February 10, J&K Police recovered and seized a hand grenade and suspected material from fields in Narla village of Rajouri district.
• On March 26 twin blasts were reported in the Kotranka area in the Rajouri district of J&K.
• On April 3 the Army and Special Operation Group (SOG) of J&K Police recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from Noorkote village along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district.
• On April -4 a terrorist was killed when the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector in the Rajouri district.
• On April 5 the Army foiled an infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector in the Poonch district.
• On April 15 security forces foiled a terror plot by recovering an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) in Gurdan Chawa village on Rajouri Gurdan road in Rajouri district.
• On April 19 a non-local couple was injured in a blast at Jaglanoo village in the Koteranka area of Rajouri district.
• On May 7, a terrorist was killed while attempting to cross the border in the Lam sector of Naushera along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district.
• On May 25, an Army soldier was injured in a landmine blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district.
• On May 30, an Army officer was injured in a landmine explosion along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Saujiyan sector of the Poonch district.
• On June 4 security forces recovered a suspected explosive substance in the Budhal area of Rajouri district.
• On June 12, two Army personnel were injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control in the Balakote area of the Poonch district.
• On June 28, two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were arrested by the police in the Rajouri district.
• On July 2, two heavily-armed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists, including the mastermind of the recent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts in Rajouri, were overpowered by villagers in Tuksan Dhok village and handed over to the Police in Reasi district.
• On July 4, Police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition including sticky bombs from a terrorist hideout in the Draj area of Rajouri district.
• On July 12 the Army foiled an infiltration bid from Pakistan along the Line of Control in the Sarla area of Poonch district.
• On July 15 a drone was spotted flying along the Line of Control (LoC) near Baloni in the Krishna Gahti sector in the Poonch district.
• On July 17, An Army Captain and a junior commissioned officer (JCO) were killed while five other personnel sustained injuries in an explosion at a forward place along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district.
• On July 18, J&K Police busted three major terror modules in Jammu and Rajouri districts that were plotting targeted killings and other terror attacks and were instrumental in receiving nearly 20 consignments of arms, ammunition, and explosives dropped from across the border through drones.
• On August 1, two anti-personnel mines and one 51 mm mortar shell were defused by a Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) of the Army in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.
• On August 11, the Army foiled a suicide attack on an Army base in Pargal located in the Darhal area of Rajouri district. Four soldiers lost their lives in the attack.
• On August 15, terrorists fired at security forces during a cordon-and-search operation in the Sojan forest area of Samote in Rajouri.
• On August 20, the sleuths of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) raided multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch in connection with a hawala racket.