Chinese steel core bullets, precision fire, and M-4 US carbines equipped with binoculars mean that terrorists engaged in recent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir could have been Special Service Group (SSG) regulars from the Pakistan Army who have retired or they might have been guerrilla fighters with extensive training, reported Hindustan Times. A senior police officer also validated the claims of intelligence agencies.
The first clear application of M4 carbine with Chinese steel core bullets by Pakistani terrorists took place on 20th April 2023, during an ambush of an army truck in the Tota Gali district of Poonch, resulting in the deaths of five troops. He said, “Though we could not confirm with certainty that there are some former Pakistan army regulars among the terrorists, the guerrilla warfare tactics being employed by the terrorists in recent attacks in Jammu strongly indicate that they are not commoners carrying firearms. They either seem to be former Pakistan army regulars or terrorists well-trained in guerrilla warfare. We are facing battle-hardened terrorists equipped with sophisticated weaponry in the dense jungles.”
The main infantry weapon and service rifle of the United States military, the M4 carbine assault rifle, was created in the 1980s as a scaled-down version of the M16A2 assault rifle. Chinese steel core ammunition consists of a cartridge with a steel core bullet that can penetrate deep into armour and is coated in a metal jacket. “The current situation developing in the Jammu region is a matter of serious concern. Immediate action is the need of the hour. Reportedly some Pakistan Army regulars are guiding these terrorist groups along with some of the local terrorists of Jammu region, who had earlier crossed across and settled in Pakistan,” informed former director general of police (DGP) Dr SP Vaid.
According to intelligence sources, weapons that the United States left behind in Afghanistan are now entering Jammu and Kashmir through Pakistan. The Rajouri-Poonch sector and other places south of the Pir Panjal mountains that separate the Jammu and Kashmir regions experienced an increase in terrorist activity during the past two years. For counterterrorism activities, the army has reinforced the intelligence network, reorganized its units and dispatched more soldiers to the area.
Since Pakistan-based terror groups have made the districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi and Kathua their obvious targets, security forces have likewise adjusted their responses. While 20 soldiers died in the Rajouri-Poonch area last year, seven soldiers were killed in counterterrorism operations in the Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, twenty terrorists were gunned down in the Rajouri-Poonch area and fifty were neutralised in the Kashmir Valley in 2023.
Terrorists struck a pilgrim bus in Reasi on 9th June, resulting in 42 injuries and 10 fatalities including women and children. On 26th June, an encounter broke out in the Gandoh area of Doda district between terrorists and security personnel, which led to the deaths of three terrorists.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to visit Jammu amidst terror attacks
General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff, is scheduled to visit Jammu on 20th July to assess the security situation following a recent upsurge in terror incidents in the region. Furthermore, he is anticipated to communicate with the local troops and senior leadership. The formation commanders will brief him on the locations being taken by the security forces. There’s also probably going to be a security review meeting with other security agencies.
The visit by the Army commander comes after four Indian Army soldiers, including Captain Brijesh Thapa, were killed on 16th July in action during a confrontation with terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. This will be his second visit. He travelled to the Poonch-Rajouri sector on 3rd July to evaluate the security conditions along the Line of Control (LoC). The Indian Army is modifying its deployments in the area in accordance with intelligence inputs and security requirements in light of the infiltration of highly trained Pakistani terrorists in the Jammu region.
The Indian Army has placed about 500 Para Special Forces commandos into the area to track down the 50 to 55 terrorists from Pakistan who have infiltrated the area in an attempt to resurrect terrorism there, based on sources. The intelligence services have also strengthened their presence in the region and are attempting to eliminate the infrastructure that supports terrorism there, including overground employees. According to sources, the Army has already dispatched troops to counteract Pakistan’s proxy invasion in the area, with one brigade of around 3,500–4,000 soldiers.
The top brass of the Army on the ground has been developing plans to find and eliminate the terrorists, who have access to the newest weapons and communication technology. With two Rashtriya Rifles forces, the Romeo and Delta forces as well as other regular infantry divisions stationed nearby, the Army already possesses a counterterrorism infrastructure.
(With inputs from ANI)
