BG terrorist attack! Professional approach from J&K police by activating its operational and intelligence-gathering network is needed; Army, Police, and NIA on the job
SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
POONC/RAJOURI: The twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri remained in the news on account of terrorist attacks at various places over the last one and a half years.
Whether it was the unsolved Bhatta Dhurian attack, the Dhangri attack, a few other terrorist attack attempts in the Rajouri district, or the latest terrorist attack in the vulnerable Bhimber Gali area a few days ago in which five Army soldiers attained martyrdom, questions have been raised about the intelligence network of the J&K police and other paramilitary forces for their inability to bring the real culprits to justice. People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a branch of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, and the investigation into the case was going on up to the time of filing this report, with reports that major clues had surfaced. Senior police officers, including the DGP and ADGP, also visited the area and said that the terrorist attack took place with the involvement of some locals, and drones were also used in the area by Pakistan for dropping arms and ammunition. They further said that an investigation is going on, with more than 200 people questioned and a few detained. They also said that the culprits would be brought to justice soon. This was the second major attack in the Bhimber Gali area, and due to this attack, people in the Poonch district are in a state of alarm because this Bhimber Gali route is the gateway to Poonch, and they believe that if this gateway is not protected, then it’s a cause for big concern from a security point of view. After the attack in the BG area, some police personnel in Poonch City were seen checking vehicles as a face-saving exercise by calling YouTubers to highlight their activities to give the impression to the people that police officials were alert after the incident. It remained a routine practise of the police to do such an exercise by calling their favorite YouTubers on the eve of every important event to impress the people into thinking that the police are alert. But on the other hand, the inability of police officials in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri to strengthen their intelligence network shows that the majority of officers holding positions of importance, due to their lack of professional brilliance and operational capabilities, have failed to formulate a strong strategy against those involved in all forms of terrorism in the region. Even the large number of OGWs of terrorists are still untraceable in the region, and this raised a big question mark on the intelligence networks of the police and other security agencies. Although, some people were investigated by the security agencies and police and reportedly got some big clues that are likely to help the security forces further in the coming days. “POONCH TODAY” in its edition on February 16 published that Pakistan wanted to disturb the Poonch-Rajouri region again because, going by the Bhatadurian incident, the Dhangri incident in Rajouri, the stone pelting incident at the houses of minority community members at Poonch a few weeks ago, the recovery of wrong materials, including printed ones, and other similar attempts have shown that Pakistan has planned something to disturb the border region again, and the latest BG incident in which five Army soldiers attained martyrdom in a likely well-planned terrorist attack more justified this fact. Top officers of the J&K police also said that this was a well-planned attack. Years ago, the Bhimber Gali-Surankote area was most vulnerable when militancy was at its peak, and people used to fear threats while crossing the area from BG to Kalai. But after various successful operations launched by the J&K Police and Army, the region was made militancy-free. But during the last one and a half years, attempts were made by Pakistan to disturb the region again, and it’s a challenging task for J&K Police, Army, and other paramilitary forces to foil the design of the enemy nation because this BG route is the lifeline of Poonch district, and hectic efforts are required to protect this route by launching some strong actions to ensure that Pakistan doesn’t taste success in her attempt to disturb the border region again through its terrorists and sleeper cells, the latter of which seems to be active inside the Indian territory at different places. Although Army, J&K police, NIA, and Intelligence agencies are on the job to foil the designs of Pakistan and have gathered some important information after the BG terrorist attack and this is likely to give a big breakthrough, on the other hand, the absence of robust operational and intelligence grid of police in the region is a cause of concern for which the government needs to place dedicated police officers with professional brilliance and operational capabilities and also should have an understanding of the emerging security scenario in the Poonch-Rajouri region to ensure peace prevails in the border region by all means as the rise in theft cases, other crimes including drug-related cases have become a routine affair and inability of the police in breaking the related networks raised a big question mark on the professionalism of the top officers. Giving PSOs to self-styled leaders and some other people with questionable credentials by ignoring the overall security scenario in the public interest by Poonch police shows that something is fishy behind the curtains. Although the security forces have done a lot to eliminate militancy from this border region, recent incidents are an indication that Pakistan and its OWGs want to disturb the region again. Five major terrorist attacks in the Poonch-Rajouri belt during the last one and a half years, which were not taken to their logical conclusion, are really a cause for big concern. A total of five attacks took place on the 11th and 16th of October 2021, the 11th of August 2022, the 1st of January 2023, and now the latest one on the 20th of April 2023 at BG. The Union Home Ministry has also taken serious note of repeated terrorist attacks, and strong directions have been issued to the security forces to eliminate the terrorism ecosystem in the region. Going by the past record of terrorism in the Poonch-Rajouri region and ongoing emerging challenges that are coming in the form of narco-terrorism, terrorist activities, and other crimes, a full-fledged war against Pakistan’s sponsored terrorism and its ecosystem in the Poonch-Rajouri region, addressing all aspects, is required again by placing professional, strong police officers having operational and intelligence gathering capabilities, strengthening the intelligence grid in a robust way, and ensuring better coordination between police, army, and intelligence agencies. Otherwise, it would be too late if the government failed to address these aspects sooner rather than later, according to people with farsighted perspectives on emerging trends.