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| Hiranagar, Samba attacks call for major overhaul in security grid in J&K | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 26: The number 26 is ominous for India. It was November 26,2008 when terrorists from Pakistan carried out mayhem in Mumbai. It was September 26,2013 when terrorists, who had infiltrated from across the border, attacked a police station in Hiranagar and an Army camp at Samba, on the national highway. In the two attack terrorists killed 12 people, including four policemen, six Army personnel, including one Lt. Colonel and two civilians. Over half a dozen policemen and soldiers were injured.
The twin attacks were the result of a well conceived plan, according to senior Army officers. Whether the terrorists, who carried out the twin attacks, had infiltrated into Jammu sector a day or two before the attack is not as important as the way they had secured complete information about the two vital security camps, or had been supplied with the documents carrying the details of the police station and the Army camp.
The way the terrorists targeted the police station and the Army camp could have not been carried out without a recce which they may have done for not less than a couple of days. In addition to this Thursday's incident indicates that Pakistan trained Fidayeens are back in Jammu and Kashmir.
Another important element behind the attack is its timing. The attack was carried out in the wee hours of the morning when the policemen, on duty in the Hiranagar police station, were getting ready for the day's task. It was carried out in the Army camp at a time when many officers were busy in having their breakfast in the mess. The attack was carried out when the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, was weighing on issues that he would raise during his maiden talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif in the US.
Was the terrorist strike aimed at derailing the process of dialogue ? Yes, it cannot be ruled out when a major section in Pakistan Army,the ISI and the extremists are opposed to resuming peace talks with India. It is in this connection that men who matter in New Delhi do not hold the establishment in Islamabad responsible for today's twin attacks on the plea that Nawaz Sharif led Governments yet to be in control of the situation in Pakistan. They say the Army, the ISI and the terrorists continue to call the shots and when Pakistan is faced with a serious menace of terrorist strikes how can it check those trying to derail peace in Jammu and Kashmir?
And Manmohan Singh seems to be right when he announced that the twin attacks cannot derail the dialogue process despite demand from the Indian opposition groups to call off the proposed talks with Nawaz Sharif. In case Manmohan Singh had a session with Nawaz Sharif he should talk tough and support joint operations against terrorists.
The twin attacks in Hiranagar and Samba indicate that the security forces had lowered the guard. Possibly the police and the Army were under the impression that since Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has been demanding partial withdrawal of the AFSPA from five districts, including Samba, they had no reason to feel worried or initiate measures for upgrading the security grid.
Now that the Union Home Ministry has sounded very very high alert in Jammu and Kashmir the Defence Ministry needs to suggest novel ways to the troops for reducing the ingress level to zero. It is needed because those terrorists, who carried out the twin attacks, had infiltrated from across the IB in recent days.
Above all Omar Abdullah needs to stop raking up his demand for withdrawal of the AFSPA because the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir is assuming disturbing features. The situation could assume alarming dimensions in the wake of the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in case the security grid on the LOC, the IB and within the state was not upgraded. |
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