Experts say Pahalgam attack points to a desperate shift in strategy

Security experts, including several who have worked in Jammu & Kashmir, said that Tuesday’s attack on tourists, all unarmed civilians, by a known front of Pakistan based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) signals a desperate move by Islamabad to destabilise the economy in the Valley.

Former chief of J&K police, SP Vaid, said the purported owning of the attack by TRF (The Resistance Front) is an eyewash because the attack is the handiwork of LeT.

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“The local terrorists are wary of attacking tourists. They know the impact that it will have on the place. It is a no-brainer that this is the work of foreign terrorists, who were sent by their handlers in Pakistan,” he said.

Vaid, who served in the J&K police for over three decades, said that in the past, local and the foreign terrorists mostly attacked pilgrims undertaking the Amarnath Yatra. “But this is a shift in their strategy as it will affect the valley badly. Tourists will cancel their bookings, hotels will be empty. People from outside will fear coming to Kashmir. This is what Pakistan wants. Everyone in Kashmir should stand up against this,” Vaid added.

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Former Delhi police chief, SN Shrivastava, who also served as the chief of CRPF’s Jammu & Kashmir zone as a special director general said the attack on unarmed civilians(tourists) shows the desperation of Pakistan-based terror groups. “After abrogation of Article 370, there has been a crackdown on terror groups. This latest attack on tourists, which should be condemned by everyone, shows desperation on the part of Pakistan to keep alive its relevance in Kashmir. Barring few cases in past, tourists have always been safe in Kashmir. Tourism is source of livelihood for the average Kashmiri.”

He added that India must deliver a “befitting response”.

Lieutenant General K Himalaya Singh (retired), former Army Commander of the White Knight Corps (XVI Corps), who served five stints in J&K, said attacks against tourists have returned to after almost 25-30 years. “In the 1990s, there were cases of terrorists attacking civilians. The victims, mostly tourists were Hindus. But all this had mostly stopped in the last 25-30 years. Tuesday’s attack is a huge escalation. As an army man, I can say that there will be a response. The Army’s scale of response will depend on government. The Army has all the options.”