A counter-terror operation is underway. (Representational)
Inspector Kuldeep Kumar, an officer from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed in action after terrorists fired on a patrol party in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur. Inspector Kumar was part of the 187 Batallion of CRPF.
A counter-terror operation has been launched in the area. A joint party of the CRPF and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police came under fire from the terrorists in the Dadu area of Udhampur.
Today's attack took place in the Jammu region, which for several years, remained relatively silent compared to Kashmir. There has been a spurt of terror activities in Jammu, particularly in the southern reaches of the Pir Panjal range, which contains thick forests and steep mountains that provide cover for terrorists.
Rise In Terror Attacks In Jammu
On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in action after an encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda. A civilian was also injured in the incident. The officer suffered gunshot wounds in a forested area during a cordon-and-search operation in the Shivgarh-Assar belt of Delhi.
Last that day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting over rising terror attacks in the Union Territory after back-to-back encounters and ambushes took place. The meeting was held at the South Block in Delhi, with NSA Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi.
Recent intelligence reports suggested that the terrorists may target highways, the lifeline in Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre decided to deploy more troops from CRPF along with local police to patrol highways and adjacent areas.
On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag. The region has witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur, and a failed attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district's Machchal sector.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year.
Action Plan
A senior official told NDTV that the increased military casualties are a significant concern, which has led to the rationalisation of force deployment in the area with new combinations and strategies. The government, while maintaining a focus on securing the Kashmir Valley, has also recognised the need to bolster security in the Jammu region. This has resulted in the mobilisation of additional forces for deployment in key areas.
One of the primary objectives of the government's new security strategy is to plug infiltration routes used by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir.
Security audits conducted by various agencies identified about two dozen sectors along the Line of Control (LOC) in the valley and the international border in the Jammu sector. Terrorists often take help from local guides to cross over.
The terrorists are equipped with sophisticated weapons like the American-made M4 assault ride with an infrared thermal sight and are trained in jungle warfare. Terrorists infiltrate by foot and the government has initiated a project to fence the borders however the progress has been slow with only 70 kilometres being covered out of 180 kilometres.
Elections In Jammu and Kashmir
Assembly Elections will be held in the Union Territory for the first time since 2014. Voting will be held in three phases, on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with results to be announced on October 4. This marks a big step forward in the poll body's efforts to meet a Supreme Court order - that democracy return to Jammu, and the Kashmir Valley, by September 30.