Pressure up on LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen; Kashmir Valley braces for attacks

NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies are apprehending more spectacular strikes by terrorists on security installations in Jammu & Kashmir given the tremendous pressure Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) have come under after losing some top commanders in the past few months.

Pakistan-based masterminds are believed to have instructed Jaish, which has around 25 fidayeen in the Valley including remaining members of its Afzal Guru Squad that infiltrated from PoK two months ago, to carry out suicide attacks targeted at Army, paramilitary and police in the coming days.

"The terrorist outfits in Kashmir have seen major reverses at the hands of security forces and J&K police in the recent past. We are expecting at least two to three more terror strikes like the one on the BSF camp adjoining Srinagar airport. A group of Jaish fidayeen, with the suspected assistance of local militant Noora Trali who is known to facilitate foreign terrorists once they cross over from PoK, has been going around in the Valley, having struck first at Pulwama and recently at the BSF camp in Srinagar. Some members of this group are still missing and there is high likelihood that they may execute their fidayeen mission, targeting yet another security camp soon," an intelligence officer told TOI.

"Jaish has been more active in Jammu region as its bases are in the adjoining Punjab province of Pakistan. But with Hizbul and LeT hit by recent reverses, Jaish operatives, who specialise in suicide strikes, have been asked to carry out attacks in the Valley," the officer said.

"Hence, the focus of the security forces has to be on securing their installations and sharpening their response to a likely security breach. For terrorists, the challenge is to respond to pressure caused by reverses by carrying out spectacular strikes on high-value targets such as security camps," said the officer.

Incidentally, a preliminary assessment of Tuesday's attack on the BSF camp has found that its perimeter security was inadequate, with parapets helping terrorists gain entry to the inner premises after cutting the fence wire.

"Terrorists who probably conducted recconnaisance of the airport may have found the fence at BSF camp most breach-prone.

Also, there was little deployment of personnel along the perimeter, despite an adjoining residential area," said an officer.

Counter-terror forces have stepped up surveillance to track the remaining fidayeen of the Afzal Guru Squad still on the prowl in the Valley, as well as Noora Trali who was on parole when he went missing from his home in Tral around two months ago.