Army tightens noose around terrorists hiding in hilly areas

A battle of nerves is unfolding in the snowbound mountains of Kishtwar and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where the Army has intensified a technology-backed operation to track and flush out Pakistan-trained terrorists seeking winter hideouts. According to sources in the defence establishment, counter-terrorism operations have been scaled up across Kishtwar and Doda during the 40-day period of Chillai Kalan—the harshest phase of the Kashmir winter—from December 21 to January 31. Traditionally, this period sees terrorists lying low in safe houses to evade detection. To counter this pattern, the Army has established temporary bases and surveillance posts deep inside snow-covered and high-altitude areas to maintain sustained pressure on suspected terrorist hideouts. Intelligence inputs from multiple agencies are being synthesised to build precise situational assessments of terrorist movement and concealment patterns. Once verified, these inputs are acted upon through coordinated joint operations to ensure tactical precision.

Intelligence assessments suggest that around 30 to 35 Pakistani terrorists are currently operating in the Jammu region. Inputs gathered over the past few months indicate that these groups, finding themselves increasingly cornered, have shifted deeper into higher mountain reaches, areas largely devoid of habitation. They are believed to be attempting to establish temporary winter hideouts to avoid confrontation with security forces.

Army units have expanded their operational footprint to ensure that the terrorists remain confined to snowbound and inhospitable terrain. The strategy is two-fold: to eliminate remaining terrorist pockets in known areas and to prevent militants from descending into populated belts. This containment approach disrupts their logistics, communication and regrouping efforts, significantly reducing operational capability.

The operations are being supported by specialised equipment and trained manpower. Winter warfare units, skilled in high-altitude survival, snow navigation, avalanche response and snow combat, have been deployed. Advanced surveillance tools, including drone-based reconnaissance, ground sensors and surveillance radars, are being used to detect movement, track signatures and identify possible routes.

Thermal imaging devices and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proved particularly effective during night operations and in terrain where conventional scouting poses high risk.

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Courtesy: The Tribune -29-Dec-2025