SUPPORTING VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITTEES TO DETER TERRORISTS

ABOUT THREE DOZEN Pakistani terrorists entered the border areas of Samba, Kathua and Hiranagar through tunnels during the three-month-long Lok Sabha elections to carry out attacks in Jammu.

- NAMRATA BILI AHUIA

It was a new challenge for security agencies because unlike in the Kashmir valley, where indoctrination drives terrorism, it is the lure of money that is feeding the terror ecosystem in Jammu. “The people who are guiding the terrorists are doing it for money,” says R.R. Swain, director-general of Jammu and Kashmir police, in an exclusive interview. He says the police are focusing on village defence committees and setting up border police stations with night vision devices and better technology to defeat terrorism. Excerpts:

Q/ Many soldiers lost their lives in terror attacks in Jammu recently. Is terrorism back in Jammu after long years of peace?

A/ Terror threats in the Jammu region have been there for some time. In October 2021, we witnessed a terror attack in Poonch district, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush. There have also been drone attacks, including those targeting the Air Force facility in Jammu in June 2021. So it is not a recent phenomenon. For almost three years, the adversary has been trying to deflect the pressure [caused by the] tightening of security in the valley. A suicide attack was planned on the eve of the prime minister’s visit for a rural development programme in the Palli village on the outskirts of Jammu in April 2022. Two foreign terrorists attempted a suicide attack but were neutralised. During the exchange of fire, one CISF assistant sub-inspector lost his life and some others were injured. So Jammu has always been on the radar.

Q/ Is there any evidence of Pakistan support to the terror attacks in Jammu?