NEW DELHI: The Centre rushed additional troops to Jammu & Kashmir after intelligence inputs said a group of trained Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, with support from Pakistan’s paramilitary, were preparing to infiltrate into India to carry out a big terror strike ahead of Independence Day, sources in the security establishment told this newspaper.
The intelligence inputs were generated on July 24, a day before the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order for deploying 10,000 more troops in the Valley. There were specific inputs that “four-five LeT terrorists were camping in Rangers post in Pakistan’s Chak Amru that comes in Narowal district” for last four-five days and were on the verge of finalising a route “conducive for infiltration to help their nefarious designs”, a government source said.
The Chak Amru post in Pakistan is located opposite BSF’s Bobiya border outpost in Kashmir’s Hiranagar district, which has witnessed many incidents of cross-border firing and infiltration bids in the recent past, explained a senior security official.
The intelligence report, which was accessed by this newspaper, said a group of LeT terrorists had plans to infiltrate into India through Bashera Nallah in the Kathua region of J&K. Gaps form in the nallah during monsoon due to excess flow of water and terrorists were readying themselves to take advantage of the situation, said a senior security official.Additional deployment of forces has triggered rumours in the state, with some linking it to government’s plan for abrogation of Article 35A that confers special rights to the residents of the state.
Hiding in Pak
There were specific inputs that four-five LeT terrorists were camping in Pakistan’s Chak Amru for last four-five days and looking for an opportunity to sneak in