Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Going Full Spectrum

Concurrent to the new NDA government being sworn in at Rashtrapati Bhawan on June 9, 2024 amid foreign heads of states and Bolllyood stars attending the ceremony among some 9,000 invitees, J&K went through a horrific terrorist attack in Reasi. A bus with 40-50 pilgrims going from Shiv Khori shrine to Katra came under terrorists’ fire in Teryarh village. The driver lost control after getting hit and the bus slid down a gorge. Terrorists kept firing at the screaming injured pilgrims. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) affiliate ‘The Resistance Front’ claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 10 and injured 41.  

Above terrorists are thought to be from the same group responsible for attacks like; attack on two Indian Air Force (IAF) vehicles killing one and injuring four personnel in Surankot on May 4, 2024; ambush in Bufliaz area of Surankot on December 21, 2023, killing four Army personnel; ambush in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch on April 20, 2023, killing five Army personnel.

The Reasi terror attack was followed by another in Kathua on June 11 and later in Doda.  Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) offshoot ‘Kashmir Tigers’ claimed responsibility for the Doda attack injuring five Army and one police personnel. These terror attacks are clear signasl from the Pakistan army/ISI to Modi 3.0, with LeT/JeM and their offshoots/affiliates operating under the ISI. Following a review of J&K’s security situation June 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed “Full Spectrum” counter-terrorism (CT) deployment in J&K.  

Many views are being expressed about deploying “full spectrum” CT capabilities. However, J&K DGP RR Swain has stated, “Counter-terrorism strategies are being tweaked, including returning to the forces deployment pattern of the 1990s, with more personnel guarding mountain tops, resuming and intensifying counter terror operations sector-wise and strengthening village defence committees in Jammu region.”

Doesn’t Swain’s statement imply we let our guard down by default or design under false sense of security? A question being asked is whether taking J&K back to the 1990s security forces deployment implies postponing assembly elections; why the decision now when J&K has suffered many terror attacks in recent years? Will the Supreme Court mandate to hold assembly elections in J&K by September 30, as also restoration of statehood, be completed ensuring J&K’s political integration?

In his article ‘Kashmiris affirm faith in democratic polity’, Wajahat Habibullah, former Chief Information Commissioner of India, examining Lok Sabha voting patterns in J&K (constituencies crafted by the Delimitation Commission included) and Ladakh, writes Kashmiris realize they can be part of governance but despite dumping the two political dynasties of J&K and their representatives, the  divide is so sharp there is little chance of BJP winning elections unless it reinvents itself for Kashmiris and Ladakhis, which is unlikely. He also writes Atal Bihari Vajpayee is readily the most loved prime minister J&K has seen.

What should be India’s response? One suggestion is to activate the Line of Control (LoC). Does this imply firing exchanges? But  we must take stock of how many terror attacks took place when the LoC was active and how Pakistan subjected Hindu-predominant villages to artillery shelling? Are we prepared to shell Pakistani villages likewise; like another country would do in retaliation or fire phosphorus (like happening in Gaza) or use chemicals like Americans did in Vietnam?

Another suggestion is to repeat Operation ‘Sarp Vinash’ that the Army undertook South of Pir Panjal Range from January to May 2003 to clear terrorists in Surankote area – near Hilkaka. 65 terrorists were killed against the loss of four soldiers.   9 PARA (Special Forces) led the attacks on terrorist bases, supported by six infantry battalions mounting sweeps and ambushes.

Repeating Sarp Vinash would flush out terrorists from the area but not all because of the vast thickly forested mountainous terrain. It will require resources and time and may have to be undertaken every two years or so, given that the initiative is with terrorists, who in all probability have a mix of Pakistani army regulars.

Hindu predominant Jammu region will continue to be terror-attacked by Pakistan, more so, because its proxy war on India is backed by both China and America. A senior veteran reflects on when American U-2 planes used to take off from Srinagar to  spy on the Soviet Union. Presently, the US wants a war between India and China-Pak and the CIA-MI6 continue hand in glove with Pakistan’s ISI. One wonders if we ever “officially” asked the US to pressure Pakistan to stop terror attacks in India – just to gauge their fake assurances. 

The porosity of the border is two-way. Leaving the initiative with Pakistan implies we will continue to suffer terror attacks. It is high time we reverse the process and get over our reactive-defensive mentality. We need to exact cross-border revenge but not once in a decade like the ‘surgical strike’. Politicians keep bragging about the ‘surgical strike’ and the ‘Balakot standoff bombing’, but these actions were in response to heavy casualties suffered at the hands of Pakistani terrorists at Uri and Pulwama respectively. These were “reactive” actions.

We have the capability to respond in POK/Pakistan but lack  the political the will to do so. Politicians need to develop a spine because the ‘bogey’ of giving “free hand” to forces has become stale. Terrorists have no religion, so, there should be no inhibitions about using ‘any and every’ means against terrorists, as also disposing of their bodies on the spot.   

Army’s Technical Support Division (TSD), which was giving invaluable cross-border intelligence, was shut down because it also exposed cross-border links of politicians and their involvement in smuggling, hawala etc. Given the magnifying dual threat to our security, the TSD should be revived and expanded to cover all countries sharing land borders with us. Can the government do so or does the same fear of exposure grips the present lot of politicians?

Over ground workers (OGWs) play an important role in supporting terrorism due to ideology, bribe, coercion or blackmail. Recent news says the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) plans to seize  properties of suspected terrorist supporters in the Jammu region. OGWs need to be identified and suitably dealt with. But  incorrect identification on half-baked information by informants nurturing personal enmity against individuals can contribute to more  radicalization.

De-radicalization cannot be the sole forte of the Army through Operation ‘Sadbhavna’. The MHA and J&K government must be fully involved in crafting and executing comprehensive de-radicalization programs targeting specific and collective segments; a mixture of persuasion, coercion, intimidation and incentives. These programs must be reviewed periodically and changes made, as required.

‘Liquid IEDs’, which are difficult to detect and used by terrorists in 2007 in South Kashmir, have reappeared in J&K. In February 2022, J&K Police recovered arms and ammunition from the international border in Jammu which also contained three bottles of a white liquid air-dropped by drones entering from Pakistan. The liquid explosive material was packed in three one-litre bottles. Forensic examination indicated it could be trinitrotoluene (TNT) or nitro-glycerin, generally used in dynamites. 

Finally, is a review warranted how “soft” our judicial system is on hardcore terrorists? Yasin Malik killed four IAF officials, (including Squadron Leader Rai Khanna) in a terrorist attack on January 25, 1990 in Srinagar’s Rawalpora. Later, he also boasted about this on BBC in an interview with Tim Sebastian. 34 years later, Malik has not been hanged and continues to live on taxpayers’ money. Similarly, LeT terrorists Bilal Ahmed Kawa and Mohammed Arif who attacked the Red Fort in Delhi killing four Army soldiers were not hanged and continue to live on taxpayers’ money 24 years later. Can the judiciary clarify how many security personnel a terrorist should have killed for being awarded capital punishment?

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.