Pakistan Army, ISI Direct Terror Groups To Strike Religious Places In J&K: Reports

The Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence have reportedly directed terror groups to launch attack on major religious shrines in Jammu and Kashmir. News agency IANS reported that the Pakistan Army and the ISI want to create chaos in the newly created Union Territory which is under restrictions since the Centre on late August 5 declared abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The revelation came after the top sources shared the details based on intelligence intercepts gathered between Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir which was on August 6 bifurcated into two Union Territories by Parliament -- Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one.

"Intrusive efforts are being made day and night with the help of the Pakistani Army. There were also infiltration attempts in Poonch, Rajouri. The Army has also given a befitting reply to these attempts. We have also informed the DGMO Pakistan about the captured terrorists," said the Army.

The reports came after two Pakistani nationals associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba were caught while trying to enter Kashmir, top security officers said on Wednesday.

"Pakistan is desperate for terrorists to infiltrate... to disrupt peace in the valley," General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Army's 15 Corps Lt General KJS Dhillon said at a joint briefing with Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Munir Khan.

He said the two Pakistani nationals associated with the LeT were apprehended on August 21. Two videos were played during the press briefing showing the apprehended Pakistanis confessing to infiltration.

"These two videos very clearly show how Pakistan, its Army and the citizens of Pakistan are being pushed into Kashmir to undertake terrorist activities in the valley to disrupt the peace that is prevailing, specially after August 5," Dhillon said.

Munir Khan said infiltration attempts are being made continuously. "Many such (infiltration) attempts have been foiled by the Indian Army so far," he said.

"As far as the law and order is concerned, since August 5 this year, one thing which we have ensured and which we have been very successful at is that no civil casualty in any law and order action has taken place and the credit goes to all the forces for operating on the ground," Khan said.

"Orders and instructions have been very clear that we have to avoid any kind of civil casualty and we are adhering to it," he said, adding that things are improving gradually and hopefully they will fall into place and normalcy will return soon.