Beyond Response: J&K Needs Proactive Strategies For Counter-Terrorism – Analysis
Terrorist violence, it appears, is making a comeback in Jammu & Kashmir after a lull of a few months. A series of terrorist attacks and encounters in the Jammu region in the last few weeks have led to fears that militancy, which had been in its final gasps, has come back stronger to target the security forces operating in the region.
It all began on 9 June 2024, when insurgents attacked a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi, killing 10 and injuring 33. Two days later, six soldiers were wounded in twin attacks in Doda and Kathua. On 7 July, one army personnel was injured when terrorists attacked a security post in the Rajouri-Poonch area. Another attack followed on 8 July, when heavily armed terrorists killed five soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer and injured six in the Kathua district. Last week, in the Doda district, four army soldiers, an officer and a J&K Police (JKP) officer were killed during an encounter. The Jaish-e-Mohammed-linked shadow groups, the Kashmir Tigers and People’s Anti-Fascist Front, have claimed responsibility for these attacks.
These attacks south of Pir Panjal assume significance as, since 2019, the security grid has been largely successful in combating terrorist violence in the Kashmir valley. A noticeable change in the attitude of the Kashmiri youth accompanies this reduction in terrorist violence. This was evident by the active participation of youth in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, which saw a 58 percent voter turnout in the Union Territory. These changed dynamics are putting pressure on Pakistan and the terrorist organisations based there to alter their geographic and tactical approaches to remain relevant.
Post-2019 crackdown
After August 2019, security agencies focused on the terrorist strongholds of South Kashmir, which had become the hotbed of militancy. With a robust security grid, they largely succeeded in cracking down on terrorist networks and eliminated several terrorists.
The crackdown included explicitly targeting terror funding and individuals supporting or harbouring terrorists, including the Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). This Hizbul Mujahideen-linked religious organisation had spread its network far and wide in the Valley. According to the data provided by the security forces, between 2019 and 2021, the JKP arrested more than 900 OGWs under the Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In addition, the National Investigation Agency launched several investigations into terrorist financing cases. These uncovered a deep nexus between the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and terrorist organisations.
Meanwhile, the pressure on terrorist organisations continued through counter-insurgency operations that targeted top militant leaders. Between 2021 and 2023, security forces eliminated as many as 443 terrorists, including 127 foreign terrorists (as shown in Figure 1).