Militant reveals LeT J&K infiltration plan

Providing further evidence of Pakistan’s complicity in fuelling the ongoing violence in Kashmir Valley, captured Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) militant Bahadur Ali has disclosed during interrogation that the terror outfit was planning to infiltrate a group of 30-40 militants specifically for mixing with the agitating crowds and target security forces by lobbing grenades at them. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is already investigating Lashkar’s role in the Kashmir turbulence, has shared the information with security agencies operating in the Valley following which massive combing operations are currently on in upper reaches of the Kupwara and Tangdhar regions.

Bahadur Ali, whose confessional video was released by NIA last week, disclosed that he had heard conversations between some top commanders of the Lashkar and officers from the Pakistan Army at a training camp in Muzaffarabad in PoK regarding sending in more militants to further strengthen the ongoing protests in the Valley.

“Ali claimed that these militants were to sneak in after his batch had infiltrated from across the border, so he was not very sure about the timing as to when the remaining militants were to infiltrate into the Valley as he overheard only a part of the conversation,” a senior intelligence official said. Further investigations by multiple agencies confirmed the initial leads provided by the captured Pakistani militant revealing that major infiltration attempts could be made by militants in Tangdhar and Kupwara regions. Since the upper reaches of these areas received less snowfall this winter, they are now being used for infiltration by Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants. Though security agencies are still trying to ascertain whether some of these militants managed to sneak in or not, sources said the possibility seems to be less. “We had increased the presence of security forces along the possible infiltration routes following Bahadur Ali’s disclosure. So it seems these 30-40 militants may not have crossed over yet,” the official added.

Sources said Bahadur Ali’s information has also been corroborated by some wireless intercepts available with security agencies which reveal that militants are waiting close to the LoC to infiltrate into the Valley. Lashkar has set up a control room in PoK to communicate instructions to its terror cadre. Preliminary investigations by NIA have confirmed that some local residents were indeed helping the Lashkar cadre.

There have been at least two incidents in which grenades have been lobbed at CRPF personnel by mobs in Srinagar and this is now suspected to have been done by the Lashkar militants.

Meanwhile, Army has been asked to conduct major area domination drive in the Valley to ensure it acts as a deterrent against the demonstrators. Sources said though security forces have been asked to act with restraint there will be no let up regarding security operations in targeting terror groups. In fact, sources added, if required additional security forces will be deployed in the Valley.