The last two months have witnessed encounters between security forces and hardened terrorists on an almost daily basis in the districts of South Kashmir in the Kashmir valley. A sizeable number of heavily armed terrorists were also killed along the line of control in North Kashmir areas of Kupwara.
The total figure is expected to cross the 150 mark if security forces manage to sustain their hot pursuit policy till year end.
A total number of 36 terrorists including top commanders Abu Dujana of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Bashir Lashkari were eliminated in surgical operations in June-July. Overall, 122 terrorists have been killed to date by the joint teams of security forces in this year alone.
This is so far, the highest number of terrorists killed in the last three years in the corresponding period between January-July.
The total figure is expected to cross the 150 mark if security forces manage to sustain their hot pursuit policy till year end.
Human Intelligence helping security forces eliminate top commanders
The common link between a majority of these operations is pin pointed human intelligence received by the security forces. In all these cases, the terrorists were found present in heavily populated areas and thus, carrying out operations was not an easy task.
The security forces have achieved major successes despite the complexities involved in taking out terrorists in such difficult circumstances, only because of the local support provided by the common Kashmiris. They did encounter stone pelting mobs at a number of places but they were also able to counter and contain these encounters because they were tipped off by some local residents. Thus, the input from the local residents has been critical and cannot be ignored.
In recent months, as a large number of local policemen were targeted by terrorists and killed in cold blood, the local support enjoyed by the terrorists started declining. The state police also got its act together to give a befitting reply to terrorists. The intelligence wing of the state police activated all its resources and local contacts. They started developing crucial human intelligence which gave them a slight edge over the terrorists. The intelligence inputs have been critical and crucial which can be seen by the fact that a majority of the top terrorist commanders have been killed in fierce encounters because they were caught off guard when they went to meet their families. It is information of such nature that has been leaked to the security forces which is helping them neutralize more of these dreaded terrorists on the ground.
Competitive rivalry between the different terrorist organizations has also played a role in helping the security forces deal with wanted terrorists because it works to their advantage when rival factions try and establish their supremacy over each other in a bid to regain control of their lost territory. It is no secret that some of the top commanders have invited the wrath of their handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan and when they defy their handlers’ diktats they are thrown out of their outfits only to be eliminated by the security forces immediately after they shown the exit door.
Local Kashmiris defying diktats of separatists
It has been observed in the last two months that large numbers of local Kashmiris have started defying unwritten diktats of separatists. Even the bandh calls supported by separatists have not been evoking a strong response from the masses. The common Kashmiri is fed up and exhausted with the daily bloodletting on the streets of the Kashmir valley. Tourist foot falls are constantly dwindling and the aspirations of all those people who want to lead peaceful lives are gathering momentum. The locals are thus beginning to take control of their own lives. These people are no longer ready to bend their knees before the hardliners spreading hatred in the name of religion.
This unique development has taken many separatists off guard. They are already facing a credibility crisis ever since the National Investigation Agency has launched a crackdown against them by exposing their murky deals and hunger for amassing real estate. As the investigations are progressing more skeletons are tumbling out of the separatist closet.
Even the mainstream Kashmiri politicians who initially tried to resist strict action against them have now started falling in line especially after the NIA started documenting the money trail in different accounts of the separatists and their sympathizers. The NIA is also expected to tighten its noose around high profile separatists after completing their preliminary inquiries against second rung separatists.
There is thus a glimmer of hope in the embattled Valley that peace may have a chance in the coming months.
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The security forces now have freedom to chase & pin down the terrorist. Earlier the Khangress govt never had courage & infact encouraged terrorism by feeding them with money & ration sops. They wanted the news headlines to be free of any thing against them. Now the tables are turned. Give the security forces 1-2 years & when the terrorist death rate increases, new joinees will be afraid that when they join, the death date is written at that very moment & there is no zennat with “seven angels”, it going to be a hell & hell & hell for them. Most of these terrorist must be unemployed youth.
These terrorists can only thrive as long as they hide inside their holes with locals providing their logistics; once that facility dries up they have to expose themselves and get KILLED sooner than later.
“Local kashmiris are defying the diktats of separatists”- Good to hear this. With Geelani’s clan in jail, clout these separatists had on the common people will come down. More commoners will speak against them as their fear will come down. Next elections we can see more people coming out to vote- hopefully for BJP
Similar approach is needed in Kerala and West Bengal soon
I really enjoy the articles on this site. Very well researched and neatly articulated. What I like the most in pgurus is you are not following the mainstream media – which is already biased and corrupt. Thank you for your commitment.