The Asian Age

Pak plans major BAT action

Attempting to push Afghan terrorists into Kashmir, sources say

- PAWAN BALI

Pakistan plans to send Afghan terrorists to the Valley to escalate terror activities in the wake of the Indian government abrogating Article 370, which granted autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), sources said on Thursday.

Some 15 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists have also been deployed at the Leepa Valley on Line of Control (LoC) to carry out Border Action Team (BAT) activities against the Indian Army.

Pakistan-based terrorists have either entered or likely to enter India to carry out a “stellar” terror strike in major cities including Delhi, said sources in North and South Block here. Other states, which can be hit by terrorists are Maharashtr­a, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Pakistan is desperatel­y trying to push Afghan terrorists in Kashmir as local militants are not able to sustain operations against security forces. “Pakistan is looking to push battlehard­ened Afghan terrorists into Kashmir as the ‘shelf life’ of local terrorists is around four to five months. There is no leadership of terrorists left in Kashmir. The sole long-surviving terrorist in Kashmir is Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo,” said sources.

Most of the local terrorists in the region are poorly trained as they get their training within the Valley itself, said sources.

Terrorists are recruiting people from North-West Frontier and Pakistanoc­cupied Kashmir (PoK) for terror activities against India.

“A meeting of the JeM was held in Bhawalpur in Pakistan under Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, the operationa­l chief of Jaishe-Mohammad and brother of Maulana Masood Azhar, on August 19-20 with the commanders of the terrorist launch pads. The launch commanders were instructed to push maximum number of terrorists into Kashmir,” said sources.

A 10-day refresher course was also conducted for terrorists in Mansehra, they said.

 ?? — RAJESH JADHAV ?? MNS chief Raj Thackeray leaves the Enforcemen­t Directorat­e office after his interrogat­ion into the Infrastruc­ture Leasing & Financial Services scam on Thursday. Mr Thackeray reached the ED office at 11.25 am and walked out at 8.15 pm.
— RAJESH JADHAV MNS chief Raj Thackeray leaves the Enforcemen­t Directorat­e office after his interrogat­ion into the Infrastruc­ture Leasing & Financial Services scam on Thursday. Mr Thackeray reached the ED office at 11.25 am and walked out at 8.15 pm.

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