Author: Rahul Datta & Mohit Kandhari
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 31, 2014
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/pak-preparing-for-indian-polls.html

After three terrorist attacks last week in Jammu & Kashmir, the security agencies have received alarming inputs about preparation by Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)-based militants to disrupt the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Indian agencies have got concrete evidence that shows that Pakistan has activated as many as 17 camps with nearly 800 foreign militants close to the Line of Control (LoC).

 The border State goes for five-phased polls starting April 10. With the snow melting, security agencies, including the Army and local police fear aggressive infiltration bids in the coming days. Militants could not sneak in the earlier part of March as unseasonal excessive snowfall blocked all ingress routes. However, as the weather cleared up, security forces are now reviewing their tactics to take on the terrorists.

 Giving these details, officials on Sunday said that radio traffic between the handlers, guides and militants increased in the last ten days. The interception of these messages enabled the security forces to learn that 17 camps out of 42 camps are now active.

 While most of these camps, in two clusters, are located in Muzzafarabad opposite north Kashmir comprising Kupwara, Baramulla and Uri, two to three camps are active in Kotli in Pakistan facing Poonch and Rajouri sectors. Some camps have also come up in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) near Peshawar and Punjab, they said. Officials did not rule out the increased role of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in stepping up attacks on security forces, contesting candidates and innocent people, as radio intercepts in the area have revealed.

 Sources said most of the militants poised to infiltrate into Kashmir are well-trained Pakistanis. The security forces had killed 14 foreign militants in the last three months. This in comparison to just two foreigners killed in encounters near the LoC in the last two years, thus indicating the intentions of Pakistan Army and ISI to disrupt the polls.

 The spate of terrorist attacks included the fidayeen attack in Kathua district of Jammu region, barely two days after BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Hiranagar.

 Second, the manner in which a group of heavily armed fidayeen penetrated 30 km into the Indian territory, launched a twin terror attack, first near Tarnah Nullah bridge in Dayalachak and later hijacked a jeep and drove up to Janglote before storming the Army camp completely exposed the lack of synergy between the security personnel. Despite receiving an alert message from the Police Control Room well in advance, around 4.47 am on Friday, the movement of the fidayeen went unnoticed for over two hours on the radar of the security grid.

 The militant attack in South Kashmir district of Pulwama on Saturday last in which a policeman was injured ahead of the visit of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti in the area has also added to the concerns of security officials.