‘Militants asked to maximise infiltration’
Latest inputs with the Central intelligence agencies confirm that commanders of several militant outfits have been asked by their Pakistan-based handlers to maximise infiltration of militants into the Indian territory to revive militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and in other parts of the country.
According to sources, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin recently visited terrorist training camps along the Line of Control with Pakistan Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials in a bid to encourage militants to infiltrate before the onset of winter and step up violence in J&K. “Salahuddin’s recent movement along with Pak Army officials is a cause for concern for the Indian security agencies. It also shows that Pakistan has been continuously pursuing the strategy of pushing infiltrators and triggering violence in J&K. Infiltration attempts from across the LoC has increased in the last nine months as compared to 2009,” sources said. Nearly 110 terrorists had infiltrated into the border state in 2009 through 413 infiltration attempts in which 93 terrorists were killed. This year, from January to September, nearly 285 terrorists have attempted to infiltrate. Around 90 of them are believed to have been successful in their attempts.”
Inputs also confirm that the ISI is reportedly providing satellite phones to the militants preparing to enter India. There are reports that the majority of militants who have already crossed into Indian territory have been provided satellite phones.
“Terrorists are finding it too convenient to use satellite phones anywhere in the country without being detected by security agencies. Some of the outfits have been provided funds also by the ISI to procure these phones for newly-trained militants,” sources added.
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35 Naxals escape to Orissa
Rabindra Nath Choudhury
Raipur
Oct. 10: Even as the Chhattisgarh police on Sunday mounted offensive against the Maoist rebels in the jungles of Mahasamund district, nearly 120 km from here, at least 35 retreating rebels have reportedly sneaked into the neighbouring state of Orissa, the police said.
Sources said some rebels, while fleeing the police offensive in Rakhadada jungles in the district, were captured by the search teams comprising special task force (STF) and anti- terrorist squads (ATS), both specialised wings of Chhattisgarh police.
The police, however, neither confirmed nor denied the arrests.
“We have intensified search operations in the entire forests of Rakhadad to flush out all the ultras from the district. We have sealed borders with Orissa. But reports reaching us say that as many as 35 insurgents, including those wounded in the Saturday’s police offensive, were successful in giving us a dodge to enter western Orissa,” a senior police officer, who is camping at the ground zero, told this newspaper, wishing not to be quoted.
He said that eight bodies of rebels, including three women, have so far been recovered.
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