Pak militants outnumber locals in J&K, training 'hybrid' terror outfits

New Delhi: Indian security agencies revealed that foreign terrorists (Pakistani) are working to prepare hybrid terrorists in the Jammu and Kashmir

The increased number of foreign terrorists in the region has added to the challenges of Indian security agencies.

The recent targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and non-Kashmiri people is a big example to this.

According to sources in the security forces, there has been a considerable increase in the number of foreign terrorists in comparison to local terrorists in J&K in the past few months.

As per the sources, a total of 137 terrorists are currently active in the Valley. These include 54 local terrorists and 83 foreign terrorists of Pakistani origin.

In the last few years, the number of foreign terrorists among the active ones has increased, due to which the security forces have to prepare a lot to deal with them, said an official.

Terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have assigned foreign terrorists with the task of preparing hybrid terrorists, the sources said.

* Hybrid terrorists aided by the foreign terrorists

According to sources, terrorist organisations based out of Pakistan are now working on a new strategy wherein hybrid terrorists are being prepared in J&K with the help of terrorists hailing from Pakistan. Fresh recruitment of local terrorists has reduced significantly due to the promptness of the security forces.

Unable to recruit locally active terrorists, foreign terrorists present in the Valley are helping more and more hybrid terrorists for criminal activities. These include local youth who used to help active terrorists as sleeper cells. Now they directly carrying out the terrorist activities.

Targeted killings are also carried out by these hybrid terrorists.

* Identification of hybrid terrorists - a big challenge

Hybrid terrorists are different as they are local youth who live like ordinary people. They carry out a terrorist activity, and go back to living a commoner's life, which is why it becomes difficult for the security forces to identify and nab them.

The authorities have no records of them. Foreign terrorists are helping them and are making them carry out terrorist acts. Intelligence and security agencies have also received inputs that arms and other aid are also being provided to them by Pakistani terrorists present in the Valley.

* Recruitment of local terrorists decreases, 168 killed in encounters

There has been a decrease in the recruitment of local terrorists in the Valley. According to the data, more than 65 youth have been recruited in different terrorist organisations this year, as compared to 142 last year.

According to sources in the security agencies, till October this year, a total of 168 terrorists have been killed in encounters with the security forces. These include 47 foreign terrorists and 121 local terrorists.

Seven terrorists have been killed by the security forces so far in October.

* Security agencies making a tough strategy

According to the sources, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the J&K Police are working to gather information about the local youth, especially those who have suddenly disappeared. The search operations and blockades have also been increased in the Valley.

A close watch is being kept on the movement of local youth and the security agencies are constantly engaged in making strategies to get the foreign terrorists out of their hiding places.

Kuldiep Singh, former Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), had recently said that the challenges in J&K have increased in many ways since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August last year.

The increasing number of foreign terrorists has increased the concerns of the security agencies. Even after this, the security forces and the J&K Police are constantly trying to thwart every terrorist activity.

IANS with inputs