In strategy shift, militants use human shields in J&K

New Delhi: Security agencies are baffled with a new modus operandi being adopted by militant outfits in Kashmir Valley where they have now started using civilians as human shield during an encounter with the forces. The first incident of its kind, which security officials claim marks a shift in the strategy of terror groups, was witnessed during a fierce encounter in South Kashmir’s Kulgam area on Sunday where militants hold up inside a house held the house owner’s son hostage and even used him as a human shield.

Security officials familiar with the operation said in the past militants would allow the occupants to leave the house after storming the house during an encounter.

But this did not happen in the Kulgam incident and in a departure from the past practice the militants instead held the owner’s son hostage thus hampering the entire operation.

Though the security forces managed to successfully eliminate the four militants, all of who were from Kulgam area, two Army jawans were also killed in the encounter. Security officials claim that the casualty of jawans was the fallout of the militants holding the civilian hostage as forces had to extremely careful in protecting the life of an innocent person. “Even during peak militancy we did not witness anything like this as militants would allow the local civilians to leave once they entered any house. But it did not happen this time and in fact our jawans got killed as they had to be extremely careful during the operation to save the life of an innocent civilian. This is a dangerous trend and with militants planning to increase attacks on security forces we hope this incident is an exception,” a senior security official said. Incidentally, the encounter led to a massive protest by residents in South Kashmir and security forces had to resort to firing to control the rioting mob. This, intelligence sources said, proves that militant groups are mobilising local support with help of their Over Ground Workers.

It was in this backdrop that Army Chief Bipin Rawat had also warned on Wednesday of tough action against those in the Valley trying hamper counter terror operations labelling them as “anti national”. “We have concrete information and evidence to suggest that these OGWs are paying local youth anything between Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 to pelt stones and protest against security forces. Some of these boys who were detained during earlier violent demonstrations in the Valley following killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani disclosed this during interrogation. Majority of these Kashmiri boys are not directly linked with militancy but are lured into these violent protests because of money,” an intelligence official posted in Srinagar added.

Another interesting aspect that came to light during subsequent investigations into the Kulgam incident also revealed that out of the four killed militant two belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen and two to Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. This confirms that different terror outfits operating in the Kashmir Valley had now come together to target security forces.

Meanwhile, top security sources have also confirmed to this newspaper that there are bout 250 active militants in the Valley now while earlier the number was said to be less than 200.  The number of active militants in the Valley is believed to have increased during the widespread disturbances and shutdown in the Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani’s death on July 9.

A top security source told this newspaper: ''Of the 250, about a half are locals while the other half are foreign militants. But the recent trend of locals actively aiding militants is a worrying trend. These attacks are all happening in the Valley away from the LoC which is largely snow-bound now. So these attacks are by terrorists who are already in the Valley. From January 1, of the at least 15 militants killed in the Valley, ten have been found to be locals.’’