India-Pakistan Conflict: Amid the heightened tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army on Sunday successfully foiled a major infiltration attempt by heavily armed terrorists from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit in the Gambhir sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. The operation, carried out in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), led to the capture of a Pakistani national identified as a guide for the infiltrators.
What do we know about the Pak infiltration bid?
The arrested individual was identified as Mohammad Arib Ahmed, son of Mohammad Yousuf, hailing from Detote in the Nikiyal area of Kotli district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). He was apprehended after alert troops noticed suspicious movement along the rugged and densely forested terrain of the Gambhir area.
“Acting on specific intelligence inputs, our troops intercepted a group of four to five heavily armed infiltrators attempting to exploit the terrain to enter Indian territory,” a Defence spokesperson said. The vigilant troops launched a well-coordinated counter-infiltration operation, successfully capturing the guide while the remaining terrorists fled under the cover of thick foliage and poor weather conditions. They are believed to have sustained injuries during their retreat.
Mobile phone, Pak currency recovered
Following the operation, a comprehensive search of the area was conducted, leading to the recovery of key evidence including a mobile phone and Pakistani currency. These items, according to officials, indicate direct involvement of Pakistan-based handlers in the infiltration attempt.
During initial interrogation, Arib Ahmed confessed to being instructed by Pakistan Army personnel at forward posts. He also confirmed that the JeM group was carrying large quantities of arms, ammunition, and other warlike stores, highlighting the severity of the threat.
JeM backed by Pakistan Army
“The captured individual has revealed that the operation was coordinated with assistance from Pakistan Army officers,” a Defence official stated, as quoted by Hindustan Times. “His information is being used to further strengthen our counter-infiltration grid in the region.”
The captured guide is currently being interrogated by a joint team comprising Army and intelligence personnel. Officials believe that actionable intelligence extracted during this process could expose deeper networks of cross-border terror facilitation and guide future counter-terror operations.
This comes just ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.