Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror camps and another 20 launch pads along the de facto border with India and stepped up efforts to ensure infiltration of as many terrorists as it can into Jammu and Kashmir before the onset of winter and closure of infiltration routes by heavy snow, Indian officials said on Tuesday.
The terror training camps and launch pads, with at least 50 terrorists in each, were activated after they were temporarily shut down following India’s air strike on terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan in retaliation to the killing of 40 paramilitary personnel in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in February this year.
Pakistani agencies were desperately looking to carry out major terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and even in the hinterlands following the abrogation of the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and its bifurcation into two federally-ruled territories, a security official said quoting intelligence inputs.
Since the terrorists have not been able to carry out any major attack, the Pakistani agencies were trying hard to push as many terrorists as they can into Jammu and Kashmir. "We have intelligence inputs that Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror training camps and another 20 launch pads with about 50 terrorists in each. All these terrorists will infiltrate through the Line of Control wherever and whenever there are opportunities," the official said.
Even though Indian security forces remain on high alert and have enhanced their vigil along the border, many terrorists have been able to infiltrate in recent weeks. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh said 200 to 300 terrorists are active in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan has intensified cross-border firing to push in as many of them as possible before winter sets in.
Singh has also said a large number of ceasefire violations are taking place in both Kashmir and Jammu regions. There have also been intelligence inputs that top terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, recently held a meeting and decided to intensify their attacks on security forces and other sensitive targets, another official said.
