The 20-year old militancy in J&K has brought many surprises but on Sunday, security forces discovered, a woman handler -- perhaps a first in the Valley.
Does this indicate a new trend? And do we have a strategy to counter this as elections begin?
In the face of it there was nothing extraordinary about the Pulwama encounter between well-armed militants and security forces in Kashmir but there was one major difference - a woman.
Hiding in the houses, the two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were reporting to a woman handler. One of the two killed militants, identified as Aafaq, was in constant touch with a woman who seemed to be calling the shots.
That's what security forces have learnt from cell phone intercepts.
She was heard taking updates and encouraging him to fight on and security sources say, this woman handler was clearly in-charge.
In the past, women are known to have helped arranged shelters, worked out logistics and provided food to militants but intelligence sources say a woman handler is a rarity.
No one is sure if a woman militant calling the shots indicates a shift in strategy by militant groups or is just a one-off case but at a time when security forces are bracing for huge infiltration attempts ahead of elections, it is a major challenge in coming weeks.
