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| Hideout bust reveals new tactic: Terrorists cooking their own meals to avoid detection | | | Atul Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 18: The recovery of a cooking gas cylinder, stove and edible supplies from a terrorist hideout in the Billawar area of Kathua district has indicated a shift in the operational strategy of terrorists, who are now preparing their own food to avoid contact with civilians and evade detection by security agencies.
According to security sources, a cooking gas cylinder, a gas stove and cooking oil were recovered from a hideout busted during a search operation in Billawar two days ago. The recovery suggests that terrorists are making arrangements for self-sustenance while operating in forested and hilly areas.
Officials said the change in tactics is believed to be on the directions of handlers and mentors sitting across the border, who have reportedly advised militants to avoid approaching civilians for food or shelter, as such contacts often lead to actionable intelligence and subsequent encounters.
“In the past, terrorists frequently depended on local civilians for food and other logistics. In several cases, militants were eliminated after villagers informed security forces about their presence when they came seeking food or assistance,” a security official said.
He added that the latest recovery points to a deliberate attempt by terrorists to minimize their footprint and reduce the risk of exposure by carrying cooking equipment and supplies into their hideouts, enabling them to survive for longer periods without external support.
Security agencies believe the new modus operandi is aimed at prolonging their stay in hinterland areas and avoiding human contact, which has become increasingly risky due to heightened vigilance and improved intelligence networks.
Search operations and area domination exercises have been intensified in vulnerable pockets of Kathua and adjoining districts, with forces maintaining close surveillance over forest routes and possible hideouts to prevent the regrouping of terrorists.
Officials said further investigations are underway to identify the network that helped establish the hideout and to trace the movement of the terrorists in the region. |
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