250 active terrorists in Kashmir Valley plan to target forces

New Delhi, Oct 10: At least 250 terrorists belonging to three Pakistan-based terror groups were active in the Kashmir Valley, trying to target security forces to "avenge" the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army in PoK.

Quoting intelligence inputs, top government sources said, most of the 250 terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen had infiltrated before the surgical strikes on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, which caused significant damage to their outfits.

The terrorists were given clear instructions by their handlers across the border to target security forces in Kashmir Valley to "avenge" the surgical strikes, sources said.

The central government has asked security forces operating in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain maximum level of alertness and take all precaution to foil any attempt by the militants to target them.

Sources said even though vigil along the LoC as well as the International Border has been intensified, there are gaps in many places due to difficult topography of the region. All attempts are being made by the security forces to foil any fresh infiltration bids from across the border, sources said.

There were intelligence reports that terrorists were planning to infiltrate India from various directions in Kashmir as well as Jammu region.

Sources said Lashkar-e-Taiba suffered the maximum damage in the cross-LoC surgical strikes on terror launch pads carried out by Indian army with assessment reports of radio intercepts indicating that around 20 of its militants were killed.

The assessment reports available from Indian army field units which included radio conversations between various Pakistani formations showed maximum damage was inflicted on LeT, a banned terror group, at Dudniyal launch pad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, opposite to Kupwara sector of North Kashmir, according to sources in the know of details of the recent surgical strikes.

PTI