Militants likely got local support on info, logistics: Intelligence

New Delhi: In an interesting twist to the terror attack on the Sunjwan Army camp last week, intelligence agencies in a classified report to the Centre informed that the militants inv-olved in the incident may have received local support in terms of logistics and information regarding the layout as well as plan of the Army camp.

According to the report, details of which have been examined by this newspaper, intelligence agencies have also not ruled out the possibility of terror module being in that particular area for the last few days.

“The manner in which the attack was executed indicates that the terror module might well have been camping in and around the Army camp for the last few days with assistance from some sleeper cell which provided logistical support to them as well as giving detailed information about the layout of the camp. It is also possible that the terror module may have carried out a recee or survey of the Army camp with help of some local support,” the report states.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is now expected to conduct detailed investigations into all the aspects of the case as the matter is likely to be formally referred to the agency soon. An NIA team had also visited the site after the terrorists stormed the Army camp in the early hours of Saturday.

Intelligence agencies have also cautioned the Centre that three terror groups operating in the Kashmir Valley — Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujhaideen — had joined hands to carryout simultaneous attacks at multiple locations targeting defence and security installations in Jammu and Kashmir.

In fact, this trend was noticed in wake of the Sunjwan incident as after the attack on the Army camp in Jammu region, Lashkar militants targeted CRPF deployments in Srinagar.

The Centre is already working on a detailed security blueprint to deal effectively with this new modus operandi being adopted by the terror groups in J&K.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired a high-level security meeting on Monday, has already instructed the Army and security forces to double their perimeter or outer cordon security at their vital installations in the state. The Centre, which has already allocated as much as `1,400 crore for this purpose in J&K and the Northeast, has assured additional funds to the forces for further beefing up their security apparatus.

In addition, the home minister has also asked to launch a fresh offensive against active militants in the state, specially their top leadership.