Alarmed by the success of Indian security forces’ anti-terror operations, the ISI and the Pakistan Army have asked terrorists in the Kashmir Valley to change their strategy vis-à-vis over-ground workers (OGWs). They have directed terror outfits like Lashkare-Tayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to not use the appointed OGWs for some time and instead train new workers. They have also asked them to include more female underground workers in their outfits and activate them as much as possible; the ISI’s handlers believe that most male underground workers have been identified by the security forces and are on the radar of the police.
Among the commanders who have been instructed by the ISI are Hizbul in-charge Saifullah Mir aka Ghazi Haider, Hizbul’s Mohammad Ashraf Khan aka Ashraf Molvi and Mohammad Abbas Sheikh aka Turabi Molvi, Jaahid Jargar aka Umar Afghani and Faisal of Jaish, and Shakur of Lashkar. These are the commanders who have been included in the list of 10 most-wanted commanders by the security forces and it is noteworthy that a high-level meeting of the security forces was held last week regarding the status of these top-10 commanders in the Valley. In the meeting, there was a detailed discussion on the strategy to eliminate them.
On the other hand, the terrorists in the Valley have also been instructed to activate the economically weaker women underground workers from now on and provide them monthly “salary”. Apart from this, it has also been instructed on behalf of the terrorist outfits that the terrorists should stay with the economically weaker people even at night time as at present the police have very little access to them.
A senior Home Ministry official told The Daily Guardian that OGWs were people who helped terrorists one way or another and many of them also provided funding and weapons for terrorists. They are generally local citizens who are also considered the backbone of terrorists in Kashmir. Without their help, it would have been difficult for terrorists to carry out operations in Kashmir.
The ISI has also asked the terrorists in the Valley to choose small families for their overnight stays and have been given clear instructions to stop use of mobile phones with immediate effect. The foreign terrorists who have been changing their hideout for more than a day have now been told not to move together, and only one or two foreign terrorists are asked to stay together in a squad.
More than 135 terrorists have been eliminated since January this year and the Pakistani intelligence agency is constantly changing its strategy in this regard. The terrorists have been clearly asked t o c a r r y out IED as well as fidayeen attacks on the security forces.
Under the influence of over-ground workers, more than 100 jihadi elements have become terrorists in South Kashmir over the last three years. Now that the security forces have launched a campaign to bring such youths back into the mainstream, the picture is changing. According to sources, now terror elements have shifted their focus from South Kashmir to North Kashmir.
According to a report of the intelligence agency, August 5 will mark the one-year anniversary of scrapping of Article 370 and hence, the ISI is planning to make a big attack on security and government establishments.