Jammu and Kashmir: Pistol-borne hybrid terrorism new challenge for security forces

J-K: Terrorists have changed their strategy by carrying target attacks with small weapons and targeting civilians.

New Delhi: According to security forces, terrorists have received instructions from Pakistan to take on soft targets, including minorities, civilians, off-duty policemen, panchayat members and pro-Indian people to create fear and paranoia, as they have failed to strike on security installations. Intelligence sources state that terrorists, consisting of mostly Pakistani who operate in Kashmir, have been tasked to change the modus operandi of terror actions in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Pakistani terrorists with the help of local terrorists target emotional youth, lure them in terrorism, and allot them a pistol with a task to kill an unarmed person who could possibly be pro-Indian.

Since the last 4 months, pistol-borne terrorists and hybrid terrorists carrying out hit-and-run target killings across the Kashmir Valley are an emerging challenge for security forces. Terrorists have changed their strategy by carrying target attacks with small weapons and targeting civilians. Most hybrid terrorists don't have any police record and are tough to identify, according to security forces.

A top police intelligence official said that modus operandi has changed by terrorists after failing to hit security establishment. They now use pistols to carry-out target killings and mix with the public hide small weapons easily. Small weapons like pistols are easy to carry for terrorists and after carrying out the target attack these terrorists easily mingle with public which help them escape from the forces watch.

However, it's a challenge to break this cycle as almost 14 civilians including off-duty policeman have been killed in targeted-killings in Kashmir. But security forces are on their toes and have busted dozens of modules of hybrid terrorists, their hideouts and recovered around 130 pistols. 

On May 23, security forces recovered 15 pistols, 30 pistol magazines, 300 rounds along with one silencer in Chanapora area of Srinagar from two hybrid terrorists.

Earlier on April 20, security forces recovered a huge cache of pistols and grenades in north Kashmir’s Kupwara which included 10 pistols, 17 pistol magazines and five grenades. In January this year, two similar consignments with silencers were seized in Kashmir. Beside security forces have managed to arrest 43 terrorists mostly hybrid this year and killed 86 terrorists and it had maximum number of newly recruited terrorists. 

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said “In all targeted-killings, pistols were used and this year we focusing to neutralise to arrest the terrorists to bust the module and we have recovered 130 pistols till now this year and we are focusing that wherever pistols are we recover them”