Jammu, Dec 27: The Indian Army has intensified counter-terror operations in Kishtwar and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir, following multiple intelligence inputs, defence sources told CNN-News18.
As per sources, around 30-35 Pakistani terrorists are believed to be hiding in the higher and mid-mountain belts of Jammu region. They said that these terrorists are using winter conditions and snow cover to evade detection and avoid direct confrontation with security forces.
Sources said that the terrorists are seeking temporary winter hideouts to survive the season, forcing them to move into uninhabited and difficult terrain. With local support networks weakening, they are increasingly relying on coercion to procure food and supplies.
Meanwhile, Army troops have expanded their presence along snowbound ridgelines and remote forest areas to maintain pressure. Specially trained winter warfare units, equipped for survival and combat in extreme cold, have been deployed to retain operational advantage.
Joint operations are being carried out with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, Special Operations Group (SOG), Forest Guards and Village Defence Guards (VDGs). This coordination has strengthened intelligence sharing and enabled faster, more precise action on the ground.
Defence sources said the army is focussed on isolating and neutralising remaining terrorist groups and preventing them from slipping into populated areas during winter.
The Army is following a “Surveillance-Swift Ops-Surveillance” doctrine to ensure terrorists do not regroup during the harsh season. A wide range of technologies, including drone-based reconnaissance, ground sensors and surveillance radars, are being used to detect movement, track heat signatures and identify possible infiltration and movement routes.
Operations are expected to continue through the winter to deny terrorists any opportunity to regroup or establish safe havens in the region.–(CNN-News18)
