Intelligence inputs say Jaish-e-Mohammed has been monitoring the 5 individuals since September, and terrorists held a meeting in December to discuss the plot.
New Delhi, January 4:
Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is plotting the assassination of five individuals in Jammu and Kashmir — two security forces officers, a journalist, a professor and a BJP spokesperson — according to the latest intelligence inputs accessed by ThePrint.
The inputs have been provided to all security agencies by the Multi Agency Centre, a coordination authority under the Union Home Ministry that includes representatives from security and intelligence agencies.
The inputs say JeM terrorist Adil Gulzar organised a meeting in Pakharpur in Budgam district of Kashmir in December, along with an unidentified foreign terrorist. They are said to be targeting a senior superintendent of police, a doctor with one of the paramilitary forces, a journalist, a professor and a BJP spokesperson.
ThePrint has intentionally omitted the names of these individuals, so as to not add to the security risk.
The targeted individuals
While the SSP in question was at the forefront of numerous encounters in his last posting, he is also an outspoken officer who has often hit out at terrorism and the Pakistani narrative. He was extremely popular with local residents in his last posting.
The senior medical officer is also popular among residents, as he has been at the forefront of trying to close the gap and eliminate the mistrust between them and the forces.
The Kashmiri professor has been vocal against terrorism, and supports the removal of Article 370.
The journalist on the target list is known as an independent voice that has often brought out the dark face of terrorism in his writings.
Security sources said Jaish has been profiling these individuals plus the BJP spokesperson since September 2019.
Current situation in Kashmir
The intelligence inputs come amid an improving security situation in the Kashmir Valley, with terror-related incidents registering a slide.
However, there is concern over the falling number of counter-terrorism operations since the Narendra Modi government’s 5 August decision to scrap Article 370 and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
At least 55 terrorists have managed to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir since 5 August, data has suggested. Overall, a total of 114 terrorists have managed to sneak into Kashmir from Pakistan since 1 January 2019.
The Pakistan Army had shut down terror camps after the Indian Air Force’s Balakot strikes in February last year, fearing global scrutiny. However, the camps were reactivated after the Modi government deployed additional forces in Kashmir, ahead of the scrapping of Article 370.
In August, ThePrint had reported that Pakistan was planning to push as many as 100 battle-hardened terrorists from Afghanistan into Kashmir.
Courtesy: The Print
