FATA fidayeen behind attacks, says DGP

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 23

The initial investigation into the Sunjuwan military station attack in Jammu early this month has concluded that the battle-hardened terrorists were from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.

This is the latest trend adopted by Pakistan to keep the troubles high on this side of the border.

In an interview with The Tribune, Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid said all terrorists who had mounted the fidayeen attacks beginning with Uri in September 2016 and the recent one on the CRPF camp in Awantipora were from the FATA region and belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group.

“This is part of the latest strategy of Pakistan to select and send all-time battle-hardened men to this side of the border to escalate the level of violence,” the DGP said.

This, he said, could “prove a critical factor in 2018".

"Earlier, Pakistan used to send men from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or some parts of Punjab. It has taken the level of terror violence to a higher level in 2018. And, that explains the inclusion of men from FATA,” he said.

“It is one of the key concerns for us as it could have ripple effect,” Vaid said, adding that it could raise the level of violence despite the fact that local militancy this year was showing a declining trend. The infiltration attempts last year were the highest in a decade, the DGP said, quoting data of the Multi Agency Centre. "As many as 124 terrorists were successful in coming to this side of the border, though the Army neutralised many infiltrators by their alertness and vigil on the Line of Control. This dwarfs the achievement of the killing of 218 militants last year -- now only four or five top commanders are left while all others have been neutralised. Pakistan has upped the ante."

The police chief said the social media was playing out a lot of distortions. “The social media is serving as a bad communicator of distortions against India. For example the Ikhlaq Khan (beef) episode was projected in a highly distorted manner. India was projected in a bad light, while the fact is that this one episode doesn't represent India. “Pakistan fanned the flames by propagating that the whole India was like this. Impressionable minds fall prey to such propaganda. One episode is relayed on thousands of phones, fuelling anti-India sentiment in the Valley,” he said.

“This sentiment is more palpable and expressions are far more loud than even in the 1990s -- the period regarded as the topmost point of militancy in Kashmir with thousands of guns and militants spread all across the Valley. The shocking part is when it comes from those who draw their sustenance from the government," he said. "A strong deterrent is needed to curb this trend,” he added in a worrying tone.

On giving amnesty to over 9,000 stone throwers despite their attempts to disrupt anti-militancy operations, Vaid said such activities had been take note of and action would be taken against the law breakers. "It will not be a free-for-all situation," he stressed.

“The amnesty granted to first-time offenders doesn’t mean that it is not going to be checked,” he said.

He, however, said no arrests had been made in the latest cases. Explaining the move to grant amnesty to first-time offenders, the police chief said it was essentially for those who because of the propaganda or the situation were lured into stone-throwing but were not habitual stone throwers. “They were facing difficulties in getting no-objection certificates for admission to institutes and getting travel documents,” he said.

‘Amnesty doesn’t mean no checks, free-for-all condition’

On giving amnesty to over 9,000 stone throwers despite their attempts to disrupt anti-militancy operations, Vaid said such activities had been take note of and action would be taken against the law breakers. “It will not be a free-for-all situation,” the DGP stressed