‘Sneaking points’ line LoC

Several staging points where terrorists wait before infiltrating into Kashmir have come up all across the Line of Control (LoC), according to senior security officials.

“Scores of armed militants are waiting to sneak in,” one of them told HT.

Heightened activity is being mapped by intelligence agencies monitoring the border. The LoC is ‘sizzling’ with activity, according to an official privy to intelligence reports being received by the ministry of home affairs.

Defence Minister AK Antony, while making a statement on the killing of five jawans in the Poonch sector, confirmed that infiltration has doubled this year, when compared to the corresponding months of January to July, 2012.

According to intelligence reports, trained militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahidin are given protection and food by the Pakistani army till they are sent across the LoC in batches. The Pakistan army also provides covering fire to the infiltrators. LeT is building staging points or huts across the LoC in which the terrorists are kept.

Antony confirmed this trend when in his statement he said that “the killing of five Indian soldiers was carried out by at least 20 armed terrorists and persons in Pakistani Army uniforms.”

The nexus between the jehadis and the Pakistani army is concerning the establishment. “They are trained and armed by the State and even fire at patrol parties along the border like they did in Poonch last night,” a senior army officer said.

The army and the BSF are worried that many groups may have managed to sneak in and as one officer said, “the attempt will be to push away as many as possible before the winter sets in.’’

Intelligence reports too point to an increasing number of staging areas being set up along the LoC.