Pakistan-based groups at work to revive terror in Jammu: Intel

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, April 29

Several terror incidents in the recent times have indicated that Pakistan-backed organisations are trying to revive militancy in Jammu despite claims of security agencies that the situation has been improving.

Besides the encounter of two suicide bombers in Jammu’s Sunjuwan, there have been four blasts in Rajouri in over a month, a blast at Bishnah in Jammu district and a sticky bomb found along Sidhra bypass, adding to the concerns of intelligence agencies.

For the past few years, terrorists had confined their activities to Kashmir. The once terror-infested areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar in Jammu had not witnessed any terror incident for long.

According to intelligence sources, this may be due to a change in strategy of terror groups who have not been able to get local support in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. Agencies believe that as the security grid has been strengthened in the Valley, terrorists are focusing on Jammu now.

On Thursday, the police averted a major tragedy at the Sidhra bypass on the Jammu-Srinagar highway when a sticky IED was found.

On April 24 when PM Narendra Modi visited Samba, a blast occurred in the border area of Bishnah. Later, samples were collected from the blast site. So far, no confirmation about the blast has been made by the police.

In Rajouri, cops are scratching their heads over multiple blasts in the Kotranka subdivision. Two explosions took place near the Kandi police station on March 26 in which no one was hurt. On April 19, two non-locals sustained injuries in an explosion in Jaglanoo village. On April 24, another blast in Shahpur Kandi village of Budhal left two labourers injured.

Rajouri SSP Mohammad Aslam Choudhary said an investigation into the blasts had been going on but nothing concrete had come out so far. He said all the technicalities were being probed.

“As there are no local or foreign terrorists in the region, there might be a hand of some foreign agency in the blasts,” the SSP added.

Infiltrator caught

A Pakistani man was arrested along the LoC in Rajouri after he crossed the border on Friday. Mamood Ali (55) was caught in Tarkundee area of Rajouri. After initial questioning, he was handed over to the police in Manjakote. The police found him possessing Pakistani currency and an axe. Though there have been cases in the past wherein Pakistanis entered the Indian territory inadvertently, Mamood Ali’s case is being investigated.

Three jawans injured in Poonch landmine blast

• Three Army men have sustained injuries in a landmine blast while patrolling in Krishna Ghati of Mendhar subdivision along the Line of Control in Poonch district.
• Identified as Major Gurung, Naib Subedar Dalbir and Havildar Hukum, they were rushed to the Command Hospital in Udhampur around 1.30 pm.