NEW DELHI: Complacency of the Indian security establishment, the armed forces and intelligence agencies has led to increased terrorist threats in the Jammu region, experts believe.
Pakistan’s deep state never wavered from its goal of fomenting disturbance and violence as part of “bleed India with a thousand cuts”, they added. The incremental deaths of the security personnel in the Jammu region of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has led to multiple rounds of high-level meeting, including by the Home Minister Amit Shah and the Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visiting the region twice within a month to take stock of the security situation.
The death toll of the security personnel in Jammu region this year has gone up to 13 after four Army personnel, including a captain, were killed on July 15 in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district. In comparison, threeterrorists have been neutralised in Jammu. Since 2021, as many as 34 soldiershave been martyred, while 40 terrorists were killed in the same period.
Cautioning towards the Pakistan’s long term goals related to Jammu and Kashmir Major General Sudhakar Jee (Retd), security analyst, said Pakistan never digressed from its strategy of ‘bleeding India with a thousand cuts’ and they don’t lose a chance as their long term goal is to wrest the whole of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“We get complacent,” said General Sudhakar, adding, “It was during General Zia-ul-Haq’s time that the K2 (Kashmir and Khalistan) desk was established and it continues to exist.”
Intelligence is the biggest casualty, agreed the security analysts. Major General Ajay Seth (Retd) said the enemy studies everything and the disturbing of the Counter Insurgency/ Counter Terror grid in the region was keenly watched as confirmed by the operational successes of the terrorists. “Pakistan has to re-establish its relevance and they are investing heavily towards South of Pir Panjal,” said Maj Gen Seth, who commanded his unit 15 Garhwal Regiment during operation Sarp Vinash (2003) in Hill Kaka.
Rising death toll
With the killing of four Army personnel on July 15 in a gunfight with terrorists in Doda district, the death toll of the security personnel in Jammu this year has gone up to 13. Thirty-four soldiers have died since 2021