New Delhi: Amid freezing temperatures and treacherous terrains, the Indian Army has intensified its counter-terrorism operations across Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu and Kashmir to pursue and neutralise Pakistani terrorists attempting to exploit the harsh winter for concealment, sources said on Saturday.
Traditionally, the onset of the 40-day ‘Chillai Kalan’, the harshest phase of winter in the Kashmir Valley from December 21 to January 31, ushers in a ‘temporary lull’ in terrorist activities, as communication routes close and heavy snowfall isolates the mountain regions, they said.
However, this winter has marked a “decisive shift” in the operational approach of the Army and other security forces, a source in the defence establishment said.
Sources said that the terrorists are seeking temporary winter hideouts to survive the season, forcing them to move into uninhabited and difficult terrain. With local support networks weakening, they are increasingly relying on coercion to procure food and supplies.
Meanwhile, Army troops have expanded their presence along snowbound ridgelines and remote forest areas to maintain pressure. Specially trained winter warfare units, equipped for survival and combat in extreme cold, have been deployed to retain operational advantage.
Joint operations are being carried out with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, Special Operations Group (SOG), Forest Guards and Village Defence Guards (VDGs). This coordination has strengthened intelligence sharing and enabled faster, more precise action on the ground.
Defence sources said the army is focused on isolating and neutralising remaining terrorist groups and preventing them from slipping into populated areas during winter.
The Army is following a “Surveillance–Swift Ops–Surveillance” doctrine to ensure terrorists do not regroup during the harsh season. A wide range of technologies, including drone-based reconnaissance, ground sensors and surveillance radars, are being used to detect movement, track heat signatures and identify possible infiltration and movement routes.
Operations are expected to continue through the winter to deny terrorists any opportunity to regroup or establish safe havens in the region.
