Infiltration in Kashmir on the rise, 273 militants active

Srinagar : Kashmir has seen a steady rise in infiltration after the revocation of Article 370 on August 5. According to the figures a total of 273 militants operating in Kashmir, of which 107 are foreign militants, while 166 are local militants. The number of local militants is higher than the foreign militants.

According to sources, 158 militants are based in South Kashmir, 96 in North Kashmir and 19 militants in central Kashmir. About 112 militants belong to the Lashkar e Toiba, 100 to the Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish e Muhammad has 58 and three militants are associated with the Al Badr militant outfit. Sources said that the communication gag in Kashmir is blocking Pakistan from sending messages to the militants.

Sources said that the communication gag has proved a boon for militants, as it has given them an opportunity to consolidate and spread across the valley. Operations now are mainly driven by human intelligence rather than technology.

While they are dormant, they could be waiting for instructions from Pakistan to carry out attacks on security forces at an ‘opportune time’.