Growing proof of China’s role in Pakistan-sponsored proxy war

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Ranjan

New Delhi, April 22

With the probe into the Poonch terror attack that left five Army soldiers dead hinting at the use of Chinese armour-piercing bullets, it is being seen as another evidence of Beijing’s growing involvement in the Pakistan-sponsored proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘Made-in-China’ drones and weapons have earlier been used by Pakistani smugglers to push narcotics into India.

Sources in the security establishment said efforts were on to assess the threat posed by Chinese hi-tech arms finding their way into the hands of terrorists in J&K. “It began with pistols or other small arms, but China is now supplying sophisticated weapons, including armour-piercing bullets, and drones with improved payload capacity,” the sources said. These were being used by Pakistan’s ISI-military combine for terror activities and pushing in illicit drugs along India’s western front, said an official.

Counter-terrorism experts and geopolitical analysts said Pakistan appeared to have convinced China that state-sponsored terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba were the best bets to secure Chinese investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in that country, said the official. Geopolitical analyst Rituraj Mate said, “Without losing further time, India should adopt an aggressive stance to counter Pakistan’s designs. Delhi must convince the visiting Chinese authorities during G20 and SCO meetings that their indirect involvement in Pakistan-sponsored terror activities can prove counter-productive.” India should shift from its approach of “acting only after a full-blown crisis” and instead take a proactive stance to counter the threat from covert Chinese supplies of arms and ammunition through Pakistan to terrorists in J&K, suggested Mate. He said amid the India-China standoff on the Line of Actual Control, Beijing appeared to be wanting to keep New Delhi engaged in the proxy war so that the boundary issues on Line of Control (with Pakistan) remained unresolved.

“The Pakistani establishment has been misleading world powers such as the US and China to extract financial support and defence hardware. The need of the hour is to put across counter-narratives to swing Beijing from such Pakistani machinations against India,” said Mate.

Meanwhile, top security officials on Saturday visited the site of the April 20 terrorist attack on the Army truck in Poonch and reviewed the major search and cordon operation launched in the area as any breakthrough eluded the forces for the second day.

Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, BSF Director General SL Thaosen and ADGP Mukesh Singh, besides an NSG team, visited the attack site at Bhata Dhurian, an area that has remained a preferred infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.

Drones, pistols to hi-tech weapons

• Poonch attack suggests terrorists attacked soldiers with armour-piercing bullets
• Chinese drones have earlier been shot down during attempts to push in drugs

Top security officials visit Poonch attack site

Top security officials on Saturday visited the site of the April 20 terrorist attack on an Army truck in Poonch and reviewed the major search and cordon operation launched in the area as any breakthrough eluded the forces for the second day

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