Lashkar militants getting sniper training from Pakistani army

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 16

There has been a rise in the number of sniping incidents on the Line of Control (LoC) due to which over a dozen Indian soldiers have been killed this year. Sources say the Pakistan army is giving training to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants to target the Indian Army through sniping.

The Pakistani army is giving training with heavy sniper guns made in Russia and the United Kingdom inside the army establishments.

Highly placed Intelligence sources told The Tribune that the LeT had deployed teams comprising snipers on the LoC who are being assisted by the Pakistan army in selecting targets.

“The snipers are operating in buddy pairs and have been trained to engage targets in tandem so as to achieve better results,” said a source.

The Tribune is in possession of a photograph of an LeT operative, Muzammil, of Punjab province of Pakistan who is being administered training inside a Pakistani Army establishment with an official sitting behind him.

“He is being given training to operate a heavy Sniper made in the United Kingdom, which has a range of 2,000 m. The gun is a light weapon and is easy to carry. It has the calibre of 50/12.7 mm and its magazine has five rounds of capacity. Its total length is 60 inches whereas length with Butt folded remains 48 inches,” a source said.

These snipers are also using Russia-made Dragnov Sniper Rifle with an effective range of 800 m, the source added.

With the kind of anti-infiltration grid put in place by the Indian Army on the LoC, especially in the Jammu region, and not even a single infiltration attempt being successful this year in this region, the Pakistani army and militant organisations across the LoC have changed the strategy and are relying on sniper guns to inflict maximum damage to the Indian Army.

So far this year, around 25 soldiers have been killed on the LoC and half of them have been killed due to the sniper firing from across the LoC.

Dealing with this changed strategy by the Pakistani army and militants has become a challenge for the Indian Army.

Pakistan has always denied having a hand in sniping and Border Action Team (BAT) actions on the LoC but this picture of an LeT operative being given training inside the Pakistan army establishment has exposed their design.

Change in strategy
With the kind of anti-infiltration grid put in place by the Indian Army on the LoC, especially in the Jammu region, and not even a single infiltration attempt being successful this year in this region, the Pakistani army and militant organisations across the LoC have changed the strategy and are relying on sniper guns to inflict maximum damage to the Indian Army.