THE recent deadly attack by terrorists on the Indian Army, using highly sophisticated weapons in the frontier district of Poonch, South of Pir Panjal region, has yet again exposed the vulnerability of the security grid.
Five soldiers were killed in a targeted attack by terrorists in the Poonch district on Thursday, December 21. The attack took place around 3.45 pm when two Army vehicles, en-route to support a cordon-and-search operation, were ambushed at a blind curve near Dhatyar Morh.
There have been clear indications that highly trained foreign terrorists are consolidating their positions in Poonch and Rajouri districts. Kashmir Central had come up with detailed reports on how terrorists were increasing their footprints in south of Pir Panjal. It has been more than evident that Jaish-e-Muhammad and LeT have designated their respective areas of operation meticulously. LeT has, to a great extent, shifted its base to Anantnag district; and Jaish, because of having hardcore fighters in large numbers, has chosen Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu province. However, there were some reliable inputs suggesting that both the proscribed terrorist outfits were supplementing each other in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
It was known to the security agencies that ISI had planned to enhance the operational activities and spread its tentacles south of Pir Panjal. Poonch, and Rajouri are overrun with hardened Afghanistan returned terrorists. The terrain in Rajouri and Poonch is such that terrorists have twin advantages of height and access to the forward pots of Pakistan. The terrorists here thus have meticulous operational plans.
It sounds a little eccentric as to why should security forces wait for the enemy to attack and then go for retaliation. You can’t afford to wait for the enemy to attack you. The terrorists have inflicted high casualties on the security forces in the area in the last one year. And it is a given that they would strike hard as and when they choose to. Knowing that terrorists are consolidating heavily in the area, the security and intelligence should have launched pre-emptive operations to push them back.
We should not forget that such gruesome attacks do not remain limited to inflicting losses upon the security forces. The attacks also have political and psychological ramifications. These attacks provide material to the propaganda machinery of Pakistan, occupying space on social media with serious consequences.
