Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 12: Pakistan army in connivance with their spy wing, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been training about two dozen militants at Rattu training camp near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in latest infiltration techniques including breach of fencing, swimming through riverines, crossing tunnels etc.
According to very specific Intelligence inputs available with the Excelsior, there were about 90 militants undergoing training at Rattu training camp but two dozen of them have been picked up by Pakistan army commandos for specialized training in warfare especially the new techniques developed by them for infiltration through barbed wire fencing and dodging sophisticated gadgetry installed by the troops along both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).
“The Pakistan army and the militant commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), the three major militant outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir and having roots in Pakistan and PoK, were frustrated with their cadre finding it extremely difficult to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir in view of strict surveillance maintained by Army and BSF, installation of sophisticated equipments and other measures taken by the troops to thwart infiltration attempts,” sources said.
They added that it was in view of this, Pakistan army and ISI have been training selected militants in new anti-infiltration techniques at Rattu training camp near Muzaffarabad in PoK, which was once used to be the hub of militants but had later been closed down by Pakistani troops following Indian and international pressure. It has once again been revived, sources said, adding that majority of the militants being trained in these camps were Pakistanis. Very few of them were Kashmiris.
Since the militants have been finding it very difficult to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir as their series of intrusion bids have been thwarted on both LoC and IB, the Pakistani troops were now training the militants in infiltration through the fencing, tunnels, crossing riverines and adopting other measures etc, sources pointed out.
Admitting that the latest training could lead to fresh infiltration attempts on LoC as well as IB, sources, however, said that security forces were well prepared to thwart intrusions by the trained militants. The militants, they said, will continue to make infiltration attempts, aided and abetted by Pakistan army and Rangers, but the security personnel are fully prepared to thwart them.
There have been reports with security forces that the militants were being trained in sneaking through the fencing or swim the riverines along the border for infiltration. However, for all such attempts, a strategy has been put in place both along LoC and IB to ensure that the militants didn’t succeed in their plans.
Apart from the specially trained militants, there were other groups of militants of different outfits, who have already been camping at the launching pads, waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate. In the recent past, the militants have made repeated infiltration attempts in Samba and Bamyal sectors along the International Border in Jammu and Punjab respectively but all their attempts have been successfully thwarted by the BSF.
According to sources, Colonel level officers of Pakistan army were regularly visiting Rattu training camps of the militants to personally supervise the training. The Pakistan army commandos have also been involved in training of the militants, they said.
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