Five elite para commandos of the Indian Army’s Special Forces were martyred in an IED blast triggered by terrorists in the Kesari Hills forests of Rajouri district. The soldiers were tasked with a specific operation against terrorists based on credible information. The attack came within two weeks of the BhattaDurrian ambush in the neighbouring Poonch district, in which an equal number of soldiers were martyred. This time, the terrorists had planted an improvised explosive device, which they detonated with remote control as the soldiers came close to it. This is the third major terror attack in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch this year.
The perpetrators had meticulously planned, even in the Poonch terror attack on an army vehicle, and were equipped with high-calibre weapons, including armour-piercing steel bullets, grenades, and sticky bombs. Terrorists and their sympathisers have enough intelligence on the movement of army vehicles in the area, and a sniper expert is likely to be part of the group. The use of satellite phones in Rajouri to mark their presence to security agencies by terrorists highlights their targeted operations. It proved to be a trap as terrorists planted IEDs, as was the case in the Dangri terror attack, and the net result was high casualties. The presence of natural caves, dense forests, and a network of over ground workers (OGWs) affiliated with terrorists in the area remains a significant challenge for security agencies, as finding a solution to this issue has proven to be a complex and unsolved task. It is a hard reality that the recent terrorist cases in Rajouri and Poonch remain unsolved despite the efforts of security agencies.
The twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch are grappling with multiple factors, which are the main reasons for the mushrooming of terrorism. In recent years, there have been repeated reports of unchecked narco-terrorism in the Poonch and Rajouri districts. This has created a dangerous nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism. Despite the claims of those involved in security operations in the region, the problem of narco-terrorism remains a serious concern for security forces as it provides a significant source of funding for terrorist groups and lures youth in for OGW and UGW activities.
The repeated terrorist attacks in Rajouri and Poonch also indicate a significant intelligence failure. An intelligence failure means that the security forces and intelligence agencies were not able to obtain or analyse the necessary information that could have prevented the attacks. Either the terrorists have developed new tactics and techniques to avoid detection by the security forces, or the intelligence agencies do not have adequate resources or technology to gather the necessary information. There seem to be communication gaps or a lack of coordination between the different agencies responsible for gathering intelligence.
The Rajouri-Poonch region was deemed a zero-militancy zone; however, over the last three years, the area has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, with a growing number of attacks being carried out against security agencies. As a result, the region has become a hotspot for terrorism once again. In the last two and a half years, there have been incidents related to terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch, resulting in the deaths of 26 Army soldiers and nine civilians. These incidents suggest the possibility of a significant presence of terrorists in the two border districts. It is now necessary to reassess and adapt the strategy for countering terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch, given the repeated attacks. Improved intelligence gathering, strengthening border security, increasing cooperation between different security agencies, and leveraging technology for better surveillance and communication should be top priorities now. Time has come to counter sinister designs of enemy effectively. It is important to continually review and update strategies to effectively counter the evolving threats posed by terrorism.
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