JAMMU, FEB 15: Brig Veteran Anil Gupta, Security and Strategic Analyst and Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party has complimented the Jammu Kashmir Police (JKP) for their alertness and professionalism in bursting and exposing the terror network active in Jammu region. It goes to the credit of JKP for timely arrest of a few hard core terrorists belonging to Kashmir and operating in Jammu region to disturb the prevailing peace in the winter capital. It is quite evident from the arrests made in past couple of months in different districts of Jammu region that the entire area is on the radar screen of the ISI and Pak based terror groups who have begun to operate with different names to mislead the global community by portraying the Pak sponsored terror as a home grown resistance movement by inducing local youth to carry out such terror acts. While targeted killings and security forces remain the targets in the Valley, the focus south of PirPanjal in Jammu region is to trigger communal riots warned Brig Gupta.
Brig Gupta warned that a network of sleeper cells already exists in the region as was disclosed earlier also when few persons belonging to Dudu-Basantgarh area were arrested by the police after an unattended explosive bag was found in a Jammu bound bus. Efforts are now being made to strengthen the network with greater emphasis on certain localities and areas close to the winter capital. The sleeper cells are based on students, teachers and professionals and include members from both sexes. Jammu due to its heterogeneous population is the ideal breeding ground to formulate such sleeper cells. Many analysts in the past have also warned that Jammu is sitting on a tinder box and is a ticking time bomb cautioned Brig Gupta.
In the prevailing environment while the police and security forces have undoubtedly to remain alert it is the responsibility of every citizen to act as a frontline warrior against terror by acting as eyes and ears of the security forces asserted Brig Gupta. Elaborating further he said that every citizen has to remain vigilant and look for unattended vehicles parked for a long duration at a particular spot, vehicles with unauthorised number plates, unattended articles at crowded places, unknown and unfamiliar faces, suspicious objects and report about them immediately to the Police Control Room or the nearest police station/ security forces post.
The terrorists of late are preferring the IB sector and hence increased focus on the area. Brig Gupta advised the police to take cognisance of the mushrooming settlements along the banks of various rivers/ nullahs right from IB to the NH. These are likely conduits of arms supply from across the border including those dropped from the drones. There are also reports of illegal night stays in certain localities of the city where individual beds are being rented on per night bases by the house owners without maintaining proper record of the one night guests.
Brig Gupta also has advised the police to avoid predictability in the raids they conduct at various hotels/lodges periodically. Such raids should be carried out randomly thus creating a fear of uncertainty among the unauthorised occupants. Cooperation by the citizens will go a long way in combating the menace jointly, “Respect All Suspect All” should be the mantra followed by the common man recommended Brig Gupta.