Pak shuts down 13 terror camps in PoK
Balakote, FATF meet leads to action
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 10: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat today declared that the troops will continue to maintain strict vigil along the borders with Pakistan as they have no way to verify whether Pakistan has shut down 13 terror camps of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen outfits in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Reports had pointed out that with the intervention of Pakistan establishment and Army, 13 terror camps of three major militant outfits have been closed following Indian action in Balakote inside Pakistan on February 26 in response to February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were martyred and upcoming meeting of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), scheduled in Orlando next week.
The terror camps, which have been closed down, were stated to be located in Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Kotli and some other areas of PoK, reports said.
However, reacting to the reports, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the Army has no way to confirm that Pakistan has shut down the terror camps and that the troops will continue to maintain strict vigil on the borders.
“No way to verify whether Pakistan has closed down terror camps or not. We will continue to maintain strict vigil along our borders,” Gen Rawat said reacting to the reports on closure of terror camps of three major militant outfits in PoK by Pakistan establishment and army for the fear of Balakote-like strike by India and sanctions by the FATF.
However, he said, the Army will wait to see the results on ground including decline in the infiltration attempts.
“We will wait to see the results on ground which will become evident in case there is major drop in infiltration into our territory and there are curbs to prevent physical and financial support to terrorists,” the Army chief said.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed militant outfit, which was responsible for Pulwama terror attack and whose top leadership was wiped out by security forces in Kashmir valley post-Pulwama attack, has lost its camps at Shawai Nala in Muzaffarabad and Garhon Jubndia and Samhanj in Mirpur in PoK, reports said.
Similarly, Dollai and Sher Kot 1 camps in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoK and Fagosh camp in Mirpur, belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit have also been closed down.
Sources said it was because of India’s display of its power by striking at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakote deep inside Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that has forced Pakistan to shut the terror training camps in PoK, which was far close to the Indian side of LoC than Balakote, where the IAF had destroyed the terror camp, resulting into large number of casualties of the militants and their commanders.
Sources said Pakistan has also charged cadres and financiers of groups that were focused on India, including the Falah-e-Insaniyat, and frozen their assets since February this year.
Apart from Balakote, sources said, Pakistan was also afraid of crackdown by the FATF member nations, who will seek proof from Pakistan for its action against the terror groups. The FATF will meet at Orlando, Florida from June 16-21.
In past also, sources said, especially after the 26/11 attack and the Parliament attack in 2001, Pakistan had attempted to show action against terror only to go back to its old ways. However, this time, it seems that Pakistan establishment has also taken army on board.
The terror launch pads close to the LoC on Pakistan side, which were used by terrorists to infiltrate, are also inactive. In fact, after the Balakote air strike, there has been no major infiltration attempt from PoK, sources said.
Based on intelligence and technical surveillance, agencies have learnt that instructions have been given to either retreat or completely stop terror facilities for the time being. Sources said that this trend has been noticed in the past few weeks.
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