In Poonch, Indian troops Thwart infiltrators with a three-tier bulwark, reports Mayank Singh, Photos by Ranjan Basu
The landscape is stunning. Houses on the hill-slopes overlook the gushing waters of the Poonch river. But nature’s beauty isn’t on the minds of the people here. An uneasy calm hangs over Salotri village of Poonch district, the scene of frequent crossfire between Indian troops and terrorists.
In the past few weeks, this sensitive area, which faces the POK village of Taintre Nat across the LIne of Control (LoC), has witnessed several heavy exchanges of fire between Indian security forces and Pakistan-trained militants.
Since the beginning of 2010, militants have made many futile attempts to cross the LoC. The high barbed-wire fence, the watch towers and the floodlights tell a story. In Rajouri and Poonch districts, the Indian forces are on high alert and for good reason.
Thwarted repeatedly and pushed to the backfoot, the militants from across the border have stepped up their infiltration attempts. Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Dawood Khan was killed on January 17 by the troops of the 39 Rashtriya Rifles. Only a fortnight later, the terrorist who replaced Dawood as kingpin at the helm was also quickly eliminated.
Villagers on both sides of the LoC are, in most cases, part of extended families. The people of these districts, especially the Muslim population, are linguistically, ethnically and culturally similar to those residing across the LoC in PoK. This is in contrast to the Muslims of Kashmir Valley, who, besides their religion, have little in common with PoK inhabitants.
Before Independence, people of these villages would freely visit each other. Even after the LoC came into being, these crossings continued. Militants exploited the porous scenario to infiltrate into the Indian side of the LoC. Not anymore.
A senior Indian Army officer tells us that the terror outfits are at their tether’s end. They are losing their hold in the area. He says: “It is their increasing frustration that has made them desperate. In January, there were six abortive attempts at infiltration. In 2009, there were a total of five attempts in the entire year.”
The landscape is stunning. Houses on the hill-slopes overlook the gushing waters of the Poonch river. But nature’s beauty isn’t on the minds of the people here. An uneasy calm hangs over Salotri village of Poonch district, the scene of frequent crossfire between Indian troops and terrorists.
In the past few weeks, this sensitive area, which faces the POK village of Taintre Nat across the LIne of Control (LoC), has witnessed several heavy exchanges of fire between Indian security forces and Pakistan-trained militants.
Since the beginning of 2010, militants have made many futile attempts to cross the LoC. The high barbed-wire fence, the watch towers and the floodlights tell a story. In Rajouri and Poonch districts, the Indian forces are on high alert and for good reason.
Thwarted repeatedly and pushed to the backfoot, the militants from across the border have stepped up their infiltration attempts. Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Dawood Khan was killed on January 17 by the troops of the 39 Rashtriya Rifles. Only a fortnight later, the terrorist who replaced Dawood as kingpin at the helm was also quickly eliminated.
Villagers on both sides of the LoC are, in most cases, part of extended families. The people of these districts, especially the Muslim population, are linguistically, ethnically and culturally similar to those residing across the LoC in PoK. This is in contrast to the Muslims of Kashmir Valley, who, besides their religion, have little in common with PoK inhabitants.
Before Independence, people of these villages would freely visit each other. Even after the LoC came into being, these crossings continued. Militants exploited the porous scenario to infiltrate into the Indian side of the LoC. Not anymore.
A senior Indian Army officer tells us that the terror outfits are at their tether’s end. They are losing their hold in the area. He says: “It is their increasing frustration that has made them desperate. In January, there were six abortive attempts at infiltration. In 2009, there were a total of five attempts in the entire year.”
Poonch and Rajouri have always been the traditional routes of infiltration into J&K. These routes have been bottled up due to a three-tier security arrangement made by the Indian forces to cut off the three sides of the LoC – north, west and south – that skirts around the district.
Even as India and Pakistan prepare to hold foreign secretary-level talks, senior officers of the Indian armed forces assert that the terrorist infrastructure is still intact across the border. One officer told TSI on condition of anonymity that there are around 40 active terror camps where about 900 militants are in readiness to be launched into India.
An anti-infiltration obstacle system, consisting of a wire fence and sensors, has been put up in Salotri village. But the terrain is difficult. In parts of this area snowfall is sometimes so heavy that it piles up to 18 feet. The sensors, which are designed to set off a warning when touched, are in danger of being deactivated in such conditions.
With the militants having stepped up their activities on the border, the Indian troops here have their hands full. Officers point out that Pakistan is propping up these terrorists because it plans to use them as a support system in the case of a full-fledged military incursion in the future. It is easy to see why the Indian Army is taking no chances with these infiltrators.
Even as India and Pakistan prepare to hold foreign secretary-level talks, senior officers of the Indian armed forces assert that the terrorist infrastructure is still intact across the border. One officer told TSI on condition of anonymity that there are around 40 active terror camps where about 900 militants are in readiness to be launched into India.
An anti-infiltration obstacle system, consisting of a wire fence and sensors, has been put up in Salotri village. But the terrain is difficult. In parts of this area snowfall is sometimes so heavy that it piles up to 18 feet. The sensors, which are designed to set off a warning when touched, are in danger of being deactivated in such conditions.
With the militants having stepped up their activities on the border, the Indian troops here have their hands full. Officers point out that Pakistan is propping up these terrorists because it plans to use them as a support system in the case of a full-fledged military incursion in the future. It is easy to see why the Indian Army is taking no chances with these infiltrators.
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