Infiltration bids over the past few weeks are an indication that the next couple of months could be tough on the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in Kashmir, where almost all traditional infiltration routes are open after the melting of snow.

Infiltration attempts over the past few weeks are an indication that the next couple of months could be tough on the Line of Control (LoC), particularly in Kashmir, where almost all traditional infiltration routes are open after the melting of snow.

Though the army’s three-tier grid along with surveillance equipment on the LoC has made it tougher for infiltrators to sneak into J&K, only in June three to five infiltration attempts were made in Kupwara sector in which 11 foreign infiltrators were killed and huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the killed infiltrators.

According to the Army, one group comprising four foreign infiltrators who were killed in Machil sector in Kupwara were carrying 55 packets of narcotics along with arms and ammunition, including nine rifles.

This year most of the infiltration attempts in J&K were made in Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri sectors. Officials having knowledge of the infiltration routes say the Kupwara, Rajouri and Poonch sectors have dense forest cover and foliage which provide cover to the infiltrators. However, after back-to-back infiltration attempts in Kupwara, the Army has beefed up security around the Line of Control in Kupwara sector that stretches right from Nowgam that falls under the jurisdiction of 19 infantry division up to areas of Gurez which are managed by the 28 infantry division based in Kupwara.

Officials say that now special surveillance will be on Gurez, Keran, Gulmarg and Uri sectors which are traditional infiltration routes.

Notably, two infiltration bids were foiled in North Kashmir last month — in the Uri and Machil sectors. Security forces had also foiled similar bids and killed a militant near LoC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir in March and February.

After the LoC ceasefire in 2021, the infiltration bids had come down in north Kashmir. However, drugs are still being smuggled regularly as per officials.

The months of June, July and August witness the greatest number of infiltration bids. Even many mountains in northern Kashmir that fall on the traditional infiltration routes are still covered under blankets of snow, officials fear heightened activity once it clears out.

So far this year, 15 infiltrators have been killed on the LoC most of them in Kupwara sector.

As per official data, in 2020, there were around 99 attempts of infiltration from across the border or LoC in which 51 infiltrators were successful to enter into J&K. In 2021, after the India and Pakistan decided a ceasefire on the LoC, there were 73 attempts, and 34 infiltrators were able to sneak into J&K. Most of the infiltrators were killed in various encounters. The number of attempts last year was less than 2021.

J&K’s director general of police Dilbag Singh also acknowledged that some attempts of infiltration were successful this year. “Various agencies of Pakistan are trying to keep the dying militancy alive in J&K by engaging in such type activities. Our anti-infiltration grid is strong and alert on borders and foiled many attempts of infiltration. Around half a dozen infiltration attempts were foiled. One or two attempts from Pakistan were successful in Poonch and Rajouri area and terrorists targeted civilians and security forces in Poonch and Rajouri. The operations are underway to neutralise the terrorists,” he told reporters last week.

General Officer Commanding, Vajra Division, Girish Kalia in a recent press conference said that there is a ceasefire agreement between two countries (India and Pakistan), however, in the recent past they (forces) have been getting large number of intelligence inputs of likely infiltration from across the LoC. “On June 15, we received highly credible input from J&K police about possible infiltration of group of terrorists in Jumagund area of Keran sector. Based on this input multiple ambushes were established along the routes and five unidentified terrorists were neutralised with no collateral damage.”

Another senior Army officer in Kupwara said that attempts to infiltrate groups have increased in the last few weeks. “After zero infiltration for many months, the attempts are made to push more and more infiltrators to revive dying militancy. All attempts have been neutralised by the alert troops.”