JeM moves fresh recruits to Balakot for intensive radicalisation programme: Intelligence

New Delhi, Feb 15: In the aftermath of the Pulwama attack last year, India responded strongly by hitting a Jaish-e-Mohammad facility at Balakot.

The hit by the Indian Air Force caused significant damage to the training camp. However since last October there are reports stating that activity at the Balakot terror camp has resumed.

The resumption was on a very small scale, but the latest Intelligence report states that the camp is back in full swing now. A fresh batch of recruits have been brought into the camp and are undergoing a radicalisation programme, an Intelligence Bureau official confirmed to OneIndia.

In addition to this there are 50 others who are training at the camp. There would be attempts to launch them into India, the officer also said. The JeM is planning on a mass infiltration programme with the intention of infesting the Valley with terrorists.

In March 2019, the IAF had hit the terror facility and also managed to destroy four intended targets. Sources tell OneIndia that the targets that were hit included the training complex, a seminary and two halls that accommodated the terrorists.

While the Research and Analysis Wing had mapped the entire Balakot facility several years back, the IAF went in for a precision strike. The intent was to hit the selected four targets, the source added. By March 2, 2019, India had gathered sufficient evidence that suggested the targets identified at the Balakot facility had been hit as intended.

Evidence in the form of satellite imagery had been collected, which clearly suggested that the buildings that were identified had been hit. Further, it was said that the buildings were hit by 5 S-2000 precision-guided munition that were fired from the Mirage 2000.

The evidence that was collected is under the classified category and it was entirely up to the government whether or not to release the information. India collected evidence in the form of Synthetic Aperture Radar, which suggested that the four buildings that were selected as targets were hit.

Pakistan is on over-drive mode, following the abrogation of Article 370. Apart from planning a blood bath in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has also deployed over 100 Special Service Group commandos along the Line of Control (LoC).

There have been ceasefire violations that have been reported and the SSC Commandos have been involved in the same.

The intelligence has stated that Pakistan would be on over-drive mode and would not only look to raise tensions along the border but also launch terrorists into the Valley. With the government easing restrictions in a phased manner, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has advised that the forces remain on a very high state of alert.

Pakistan is trying to push at least 100 terrorists in Kashmir from Afghanistan.

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.