Intense search operation carried out in Kashmir after IB reports presence of terrorists

New Delhi, Aug 29: The Indian Army has launched a major search operation in Kashmir, following inputs about a large presence of terrorists.

Searches were carried out at the Hajipur sector of the Line of Control. Two persons have been carried out during the searches that have been carried out for the past several days now.

The arrested persons have been identified as Khalid and Nazim, both residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Army suspects that these two persons are terrorist guides and help in infiltrations.

The security forces also undertook searches in some hotels and other properties in Gulmarg. The forces have restricted movement of people and also put these areas under very high alert. The search operation needs to be smooth as the intelligence is concrete, an officer informed OneIndia.

Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials had said that with there being a lockdown in the Valley following the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan would look for the curbs to ease out, before it tried and implements its larger design to push 100 terrorists into the Valley in a bid to cause havoc.

In addition, around 15 Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists are already waiting at the terror launch-pads in Lipa valley along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side to infiltrate in Kashmir, Intelligence reports suggest.

According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan-based terror groups may target vital installations in several key Indian cities in the next few weeks, sources said.

Pakistan's plan is to trigger series of terror attacks in Kashmir to project to the international community that situation in the Valley is fast deteriorating following India's decision to withdraw special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories, they said.

"We have credible intelligence that Pakistan is bringing over 100 hardcore terrorists from Afghanistan and they will be pushed into Kashmir in the next few weeks," said a military source.

Mufti Rauf Asghar, brother of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, held meetings with top commanders of the terror outfit at its Bahawalpur headquarters on August 19 and 20 with a primary agenda of pushing hardcore terrorists into Kashmir, sources claimed.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been making provocative statements targeting India following its decisions on Kashmir and even suggested recently that a Pulwama-like terror attack may take place again.

According to Pakistan's assessment, the local terrorists in Kashmir are not properly trained, have low shelf-life and there was a leadership crisis among them in the Valley because of vigorous anti-terror operations, the sources said.

"That is why Pakistan is bringing battle-hardened terrorists from Afghanistan", they added.

Sources claimed Pakistan has set up Kashmir desks at all its foreign missions to carry out anti-India propaganda in the wake of India's decisions on J&K.