Militance by separatist insurgents in Jammu, part of India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory, is resurfacing after a gap of 14 years, a former top military officer told VOA June 20.
There have been at least six deadly attacks, resulting in the loss of 33 lives, including 10 civilians, since 2021. The first wave of militancy emerged in 1990.
Deependra Singh Hooda, former general officer commanding-in-chief of the Indian army’s Northern Command said two factors contribute to the resurgence – difficulties the militants face in the Kashmir Valley because of tough Indian government response and a shifting of troops from Jammu to deal with border issues with China.
“The deployment of troops to address border tensions with China in Ladakh has resulted in a relatively lower presence of security forces in certain areas of Jammu,” Hooda said. “The reduced security presence provided an opportunity for terrorists to establish a foothold and to carry out their activities in the region,” he said.
Militants attacked an army vehicle in the Bhimber Gali area on April 20, an attack in which five soldiers were killed while one suffered serious injuries.
The militants escaped into the dense forests spanning the districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which share a 225-kilometer section of the Line of Control, a de facto border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
In response to the attack, a combined team of army and local police initiated an extensive search operation within the forests to locate the militants. However, two weeks later, on May 5, 2023, the militants ambushed the search party, resulting in the casualties of five commandos.
Munshi Khan, a 65-year-old resident of Totta Gali in the Poonch district, told VOA that the region was peacful from 2007 to 2021, after the initial phase of militancy ended.
In October 2021, militants carried out two deadly attacks on Indian forces in the Bhatta Durian forests spanning Rajouri and Poonch districts. The attacks led to the death of five soldiers on October 11 and another four on October 15.
Government forces conducted a search operation in the hilly terrain for over a month, utilizing helicopter and drone services, but were unable to locate the militants hiding within the forest. However, on August 11, 2022, militants executed a suicide attack on an army camp in Rajouri in which five soldiers and two militants were killed.
“The resurgence of militancy has created an atmosphere of panic and fear among the locals,” Khan said. “During the first phase militants were visible as they were often seen roaming the streets but during the current phase they remain invisible as locals have not spotted them yet,” he added.
Residents of Poonch and Rajouri, according to Khan, used to venture into the forests to collect firewood and graze their domestic animals. However, their regular activities have been disrupted since the attacks.
“We risk becoming targets from both sides if we venture into the forest, so to avoid any trouble, we stay away,” Khan said. “Our normal activities have diminished,” he added.
Neither Haseeb Mughal, deputy inspector general of Poonch-Rajouri Range of J&K Police, nor Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, public relations Officer of Indian army in Jammu, would comment on the matter.
A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the resurgence of militancy in the Jammu region emphasizing that the number of militants is significantly lower than in the 1990s.
“Poonch and Rajouri districts are predominantly covered by dense forests, providing militants access to Kashmir, Jammu, and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir,” he said. “We have not achieved success so far as militants have changed their strategies,” he added. He claimed that militants avoid the use of electronic devices and prefer to remain disconnected from locals as they do not find the same level of support as they do in the Kashmir valley.
“The police and army are actively engaged in eliminating all terrorists involved in destabilizing the peace in the region,” he said. “We urge the people to remain patient and support us,” he concluded.
