The fresh terror attack on the BSF camp near Srinagar airport on Tuesday has once again exposed the glaring gaps existing along the India-Pakistan border which has been witnessing heightened terror activities over the last several months. Sniper firings on India's border guarding forces, pushing militants in the cover of cross-border firing and increasing terror bases have been going on unabated across the Line of Control.
Top security officials said New Delhi's options of retaliation are limited given that it has already exercised the option of launching a cross border surgical strike targeting terrorist launch pads. But infiltration has continued unabated.
A group of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists are learnt to have Infiltrated from the Jammu Sector in the first week of August. The Jammu and Kashmir police suspect that the fidayeen attack on the BSF camp near Srinagar airport on Tuesday is the handiwork of this group which managed to enter undetected.
Despite multiple intelligence inputs and warnings of a spectacular strike, the terrorists managed to strike at the camp triggering panic and unrest again. During July 2017, 45 terrorists had attempted infiltration (Valley-39, Jammu-6), out of which seven were killed in the Valley, 33 returned (Valley-27, Jammu-6) and five succeeded in infiltrating to the Valley, latest data collated by the intelligence agencies reveals.
During June 2017, 45 terrorists had attempted infiltration (Valley-31, Jammu-14), out of which 32 returned (Valley-18, Jammu-14), 13 were killed and none succeeded in infiltrating.
On Tuesday, the joint action of security forces consisting of CRPF, BSF and JK police gunned down three terrorists but the worry is not over yet. Police sources maintain that another component of this group is still active and roaming freely probably scouting for more targets.
The intelligence agencies had noticed an increase in the movement of terrorists opposite LoC as compared to the previous months. The inputs shared with the central and state government indicated movement of 615 terrorists, whereas in June it was 598. Maximum movement of terrorists was indicated opposite Poonch sector.
Home minister Rajnath Singh, who was on his toes through the day speaking to the BSF DG K.K. Sharma and other top security officials, had already declared that the western border with Pakistan will be sealed by 2018.
The home minister's statement had come in the wake of rising India-Pakistan tension and the worst terror attack on September 18, 2016 on a military base in Uri killing 17 soldiers. Following the attack, the government had launched surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the line of control.
Now with increasing terrorist activity in the Valley and Pakistan sponsored terror groups remaining undeterred by strong retaliatory measures of the border guarding forces, the government may need to act fast and implement its promise of securing the border with technological solutions in riverine belts and areas where physical barriers can't be erected.
