According to a report prepared by the security agencies, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e- Mohammed (JeM) recruited the most number of locals from Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama both in 2018 and in 2019, reported the Hindustan Times.
The report has been shared with the Prime Minister’s Office also.
The report has described the modus operandi of the Pulwama attack ‘akin to Syria and Afghanistan’. On February 14, 49 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide attack on their convey which was claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfit.
The report says that about 63 locals were recruited from Pulwama in 2018 and two more this year. Shopian district was a distant second, with 46 locals joining militant groups in 2018, but none this year.
The report further says that the maximum number of militants killed in 2019 belonged to the JeM – 15. In comparison, 10 militants each of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and the LeT were killed in counter-terrorism operations this year. Last year, the JeM recruited about 33 locals from the Kashmir valley. In contrast HM and LeT recruited 79 and 66 local youth in 2018.
The report has also indicated the the Line of Control will be “restive” in the coming months.
“The report has predicted that cease-fire violations or cross border firing will increase. Importantly, the report has warned that Pakistan could use “heavy caliber weapons” to inflict civilian casualties, carry out “cross border tactical action” and increase sniping to target Indian forces deployed along the border.”
