ISKP Exploiting Afghanistan Crisis, Infiltration Bids Into J&K Likely: Agencies

New Delhi: With the situation in Afghanistan grim, following a strike on a hospital which killed 400 people, and only likely to worsen further, the Indian agencies have warned that fresh infiltration bids could be made into Jammu and Kashmir under the distraction.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that intercepts suggest that the launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have become active again, and there are over 500 terrorists who are waiting at these pads and ready to infiltrate.

The official says that while the majority of terrorists waiting at the launch pads are from the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, a new dimension has now been added courtesy of the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Fresh inputs suggest that the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is using the distraction that is taking place due to the existing situation and will look to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.

The Pakistani establishment, which has roped in the ISKP to battle against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), will not object to the ISKP trying to make inroads in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, there was a strict line that had been drawn, and Jammu and Kashmir was considered to be the exclusive territory of the Jaish and the Lashkar.

The ISKP, on the other hand, has in the past openly spoken about its ambitions in Jammu and Kashmir. However, it was unable to set up base as it did not have the backing of either the ISI or the Pakistan Army.

An official said that the dimension has now changed, and hence, there is a high sense of alert about possible infiltrations by ISKP terrorists.

The Indian security agencies are maintaining a high state of alert at the borders of both Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

Owing to the situation in Afghanistan, terror groups hope that the Indian agencies may be distracted and also caught off guard.

These groups are trying to take advantage of the situation and have decided to increase the number of infiltration bids, with the hope that the Indian security forces fail at least on a couple of occasions.

Intelligence agencies had, a couple of years back, flagged the possibility of battle-hardened terrorists infiltrating into India along the Afghan border, taking advantage of the weak and porous security systems.

Today, India shares good ties with Afghanistan, and Kabul has assured New Delhi that it would not let its territory be used as a launchpad.

While the improved ties do help India in its war against terror, the problem is the current situation in Afghanistan. The entire security mechanism out there is under duress owing to the ongoing war, and this may be taken advantage of by the terrorists, officials say.

Another official warned of a possible spillover effect due to the ongoing war. Terrorists of the ISKP may try to slip into Pakistan, taking advantage of the weak security prevalent at this time and then move into India.

Earlier this month, a major infiltration bid was foiled by the Indian security forces at Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri. Officials say that infiltration bids continue to be a cause for major concern. Terror groups are making attempts too frequently, and this has kept the security agencies on their toes.

The Army, however, has said that it remains fully prepared to counter any infiltration bid.

On the Afghanistan situation, experts say that nothing is going to improve anytime soon. Pakistan is expected to intensify its military campaign. The Afghan Taliban has promised revenge for the attack that killed 400 civilians at a hospital and could conduct raids on border posts. More cross-border guerrilla attacks could be carried out to target the Pakistani security forces, say experts.

(IANS)