Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
The Indian Army has been carrying out a combing operation in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri sector, Jammu and Kashmir, for the past one week after witnessing a spike in terror activities.
It started after two army vehicles were ambushed by terrorists on December 21, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers and injuries to two others. The forces had inputs that two or three terrorists from across the border had been moving around the forest area.
These terrorists are believed to be infiltrating from Pakistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and are armed with the latest Chinese-made weaponry and communication devices, say security forces.
From rifles, pistols, grenades, drones, and bodysuit cameras to communication devices, the army has found these Chinese-made gadgets from the encounter sites.
The Indian security forces have revealed repeatedly that foreign terrorists have been active in Jammu and Kashmir and are armed with weapons that are usually used by the Pakistan Army.
All the communication devices and arms that are supplied to the Pakistan Army from China on a regular basis end up with these terrorists mostly affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Sources in the security establishment told WION that Pakistan has been actively working on reviving terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch areas, which border Pakistan.
Sources say that about 25 to 30 Pakistani terrorists have managed to successfully infiltrate into the Union Territory through the International Border, close to Poonch and Rajouri sectors.
Most of these terrorists are affiliated with terror organisations like Jaish and Lashkar, they say.
Sources also say that the revival of terrorism in these areas is part of a bigger plan by Pakistan and China. Its main motive is to put pressure on the Indian Army so that they withdraw troops deployed at the Indo-China border and re-deploy them in areas like Rajouri and Poonch.
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It is being said that the Pakistan-China alliance is trying to prevent any withdrawal of Indian Army troops from Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan-China alliance wants less deployment of forces on the Indo-China border in Ladakh where the Chinese Army is facing the Indian Army directly.
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In 2020, India shifted Rashtriya Rifles forces from the Poonch sector to Ladakh to counter Chinese aggression and put pressure on the PLA to match Indian strength.