Terrorists Infiltrate Poonch-Rajouri Belt, Escalating Security Concerns In Jammu & Kashmir

The recent multiple terror attacks in the region recently were carried out by these foreign terrorists, predominantly belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Terrorism In Kashmir: The presence of foreign terrorists in the Pir Panjal range is a significant concern for security forces in the Poonch-Rajouri belt. Three most-wanted terrorists, including Abu Hamza, are behind all major terror attacks in the area.

In the past few months, the Rajouri-Poonch belt in the Jammu region has become a hub for terrorists. Most of the active terrorists in the entire Union Territory are foreign nationals from Pakistan. There have been multiple terror attacks in the region recently, most of which were carried out by these foreign terrorists, predominantly belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. 

The Jammu and Kashmir Police recently released pictures of three foreign terrorists active in the Rajouri-Poonch belt. All three terrorists are of Pakistani origin and are associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit. The first terrorist is the top commander of Lashkar, identified as Abu Hamza. The second terrorist, identified as Fauji, is said to be a former Pakistani Army commando, and the third terrorist is identified as Aadun, who has been active in the belt for the past year.

Sources in the security forces say there is a high possibility that this group was involved in the Reasi terror attack, though their involvement has not been officially confirmed. Abu Hamza, a 32-year-old Pakistani terrorist, has a bounty of one million Indian rupees on his head. He has been active in the Rajouri-Poonch belt for the past two years. Sources say that a group of terrorists, including Abu Hamza, infiltrated through the LoC and the International Border in the Jammu region. Abu Hamza has been responsible for multiple attacks in the region recently.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police stated that Abu Hamza was responsible for the attack on the convoy of the Indian Air Force on May 4. He was also the main attacker in the killing of a government employee named Mohammad Razaq on April 22 in Rajouri.

Sources in the security forces say that Abu Hamza was trained in a camp by the Pakistan Army before being sent to Jammu and Kashmir. He infiltrated with another terrorist named Fauji, who is said to be a former commando of the Pakistan Army. The entire group infiltrated together and has been actively carrying out attacks in the region.

Security forces have been hunting for these terrorists in the region, although the topography poses a significant challenge. The entire belt is a dense forest, giving terrorists an advantage to hide after these ambush attacks.
One of the major concerns for the security forces is the presence of these foreign terrorists in the Union Territory. 

Jammu and Kashmir Police's DGP, R.R. Swain, recently stated that there are 70-80 foreign terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir, and the focus of terrorism has shifted from local to foreign terrorists. The increasing number of foreign terrorists is a big challenge for the security forces, as these terrorists are well-trained in Pakistani terror camps before being sent to Jammu and Kashmir. This is particularly true in the Pir Panjal range of mountains, which five years ago was declared a terrorist-free zone by security forces. The tough terrain and dense green forests help these foreign terrorists to hide themselves safely in the same belt.