Bid to revive militancy in Rajouri, Poonch

Ranjit Thakur

Jammu, July 2

In the wake of inputs that an attempt is being made to revive militancy in Rajouri and Poonch districts, intelligence agencies and the police in both districts are on a high alert. A close watch is being maintained on the movement of suspicious persons, overground workers (OWGs) and surrendered ultras.

Last week, the police had busted a Hizbul Mujahedeen drug smuggling nexus by arresting one person with 12-kg heroin near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch. He had revealed how OGWs and sleeper cells are connected with their handlers across the LoC in Pakistan.

The recovery of Pakistani SIM cards, currency and weapons from a hideout in Poonch last month and the arrest of two youths with AK-47 rifles at a shrine in Rajouri last year had also dropped enough hints that OGWs and their handlers are trying every possible effort on the other side of the LoC to revive militancy in the bordering districts of Poonch and Rajouri.

Talking to The Tribune, SSP, Poonch, Ramesh Angral said, “Sleeper cells and overground workers are still active and trying to revive militancy here. We have strengthened our information-sharing grid with different security and intelligence agencies to foil any nefarious designs of anti-national elements. All possible measures have been taken to tighten the security grid.”

“Recently, we arrested a person from Surankote for using a WhatsApp group for glorifying militant acts and anti-national activities. We always keep a hawk’s eye on surrendered ultras to prevent the revival of militancy,” he said.

Former state DGP MM Khajuria stressed the need to mount multidimensional response to the terrorists’ ideology which included their addresses at school and college levels. “One should understand that the fight is for the Chenab waters and not for the Jhelum and the Dal Lake. The revival of militancy in the Chenab region and Pir Panjal is Pakistan’s focus and Jammu is the worst affected due to this new dimension,” said Khajuria.

He said since Jammu was on the radar of Pakistan and militants, the government’s claim to have controlled the situation was not realistic.