Army chief Bipin Rawat meets Rifleman Aurangzeb's family

Army is expected to increase target-specific operations, with better coordination with the police and a likely increased inflow of intelligence inputs

Kashmir is likely to witness a new wave of violence as target-specific military operations will go up in the coming days with the State coming under Governor’s rule, said officials within the security establishment on Tuesday.

“Whenever we have stepped up security operations, we have seen a backlash,” one seasoned Kashmir hand in the establishment said. There would be a new wave of local militant recruitments, he added.

Several officials said the withdrawal of the BJP from the Jammu and Kashmir government and the resultant Governor’s rule would result in closer coordination among security forces, especially the State police and the Army, more intelligence flow and, consequently, more security operations.

Governor’s rule: Army and police to join forces now
“It is a political decision, and the Army will not have any direct impact. But the police will now be more open in giving intelligence inputs as they normally come under the State government,” a Defence source said on Tuesday.

This will give greater impetus to target-specific operations by the Army as the force relies on the police for local intelligence and movement of terrorists.

The current trend shows that 2018 is on its way to become the bloodiest year in a decade. However, the situation will only get worse in the coming weeks, officials say. As many as 95 terrorists have been killed so far this year, and 40 security personnel and 38 civilians have already died this year in violence. Last year, 57 civilians, 83 security force personnel and 218 terrorists lost their lives. Violence in the Valley has been climbing since 2014, after it began to recede starting 2008.

Not Much Consolidation

A day after the Suspension of Operations was called off by the Home Ministry, the Army has resumed full-fledged anti-terror operations in the hinterland. However, sources said the scope for consolidation by terror groups was limited as the ceasefire was only for a short period. “In one month, grouping or regrouping does not happen much. You need longer periods. The decision [to enforce a ceasefire] was sudden and everyone was taken by surprise. Ramzan was also going on,” an Army source said.