Terrorists slip through LoC, says intel inputs; Army informed

SRINAGAR: Intelligence inputs suggest that some hardcore Lashker-e-Taiba terrorists including a dreaded militant 'Furqan' have sneaked into Kashmir valley raising questions over claims that infiltration across the Line of Control ( LoC) have declined sharply.

Sources in the state home department have said the inputs of wireless intercepts suggested that Furqan, whose actual name was not known, had infiltrated into the valley to muster support among the local population and to streamline the operations of the terror outfit.

The intelligence inputs comes in the face of repeated assertions by Army that infiltration had reduced along the LoC and had come down drastically.

However, during internal meetings, officials of the Military Intelligence and other senior Army officials were taken aback when they were briefed about the intercepts showing heavy presence of Lashker militants in higher reaches of Kupwara and Uri. Besides Furkan, five battle-hardened terrorists of Pakistan-based LeT were among them, the sources said.

The state police and central security agencies provided specific credible intelligence including tell-tale signs of the presence of nearly a dozen militants in Nichnai forests in higher reaches of Yusmarg in Central Kashmir.

While Army has been maintaining a studied silence over the issue, sources said intelligence about infiltration of militants, who managed to escape the Army vigil at LoC, was picked up by the local police leading to various encounters across the state.

Another group was spotted and engaged by the police and para-military forces in the adjacent areas of Uri after they had managed to slip in through the LoC.