Gulmarg terror attack mirrors Jammu-type ambushes

Srinagar: The recent guerilla attack by highly trained and well-equipped terrorists on Army in upper reaches of ski-resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir on Thursday is the first Jammu-type ambush strike against the security forces in the valley in recent years.

Three soldiers and two army porters were killed in the attack in Bota Pathari, around 12 kms from famous ski-resort Gulmarg and close to the Line of Control (LoC), when terrorists ambushed an army vehicle on Thursday evening.

In the recent years Pakistan changed its strategy to foment trouble in Jammu and Kashmir by sending highly trained and well-equipped terrorists for guerilla attacks on security convoys, camps and patrols.

But instead of Kashmir valley, the focus of Pakistan backed terror groups appeared to be Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, and Udhampur districts of Jammu region, in which over 70 people, including 52 security personnel lost their lives.

For over two decades, Jammu was relatively peaceful until 2021 when Pakistan shifted its focus from the Valley to revive militancy in the region. Guerrilla-trained terrorists have been striking with a high element of surprise in Jammu’s forested mountains at short intervals. Their targets are mainly the members of security forces.

However, after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, there had been only search operations and encounters in the last five years in Kashmir. But all those operations were proactively initiated by the security forces. The Gulmarg attack marks the first organised attack against the Army in Kashmir in recent years, signaling a potential shift in the region’s security landscape.

“Immediately after the first elected government in more than six years in Jammu and Kashmir took over, it seems, terrorists and their handlers across the border, have now decided to revive the lethal phase of terrorism in Kashmir. The Bota Pathri attack bears similarities to previous strikes seen in Jammu in the last three years,” a senior police officer told DH.

He said the attack appears to be the beginning of a new trend, “but it may not escalate to the levels witnessed in Jammu in recent years.”

“The high-altitude terrain of Kashmir is typically characterised by a closer relationship between security agencies and the local civilian population, which can aid in intelligence gathering and quick response,” the officer added.

Sources said like terrorists operating in Jammu, it seems, those who carried out Bota Pathri attack have a fair idea of the topography, and are taking advantage of thick foliage and forest cover to launch attacks.