Air-strikes would make task easier for troops in Valley

SRINAGAR, JUNE 10: Security forces, which have been fighting the Pakistan-backed insurgents in Kashmir for a decade now, feel emboldened ...

SRINAGAR, JUNE 10: Security forces, which have been fighting the Pakistan-backed insurgents in Kashmir for a decade now, feel emboldened by the use of air-strikes in Kargil and hope the tactics would not be limited to Operation Vijay8217; alone.

A large number of senior authorities in the security forces 8212; BSF, CRPF, ITBP 8212; and the Army felt the use of air-strikes in ousting armed militants from their jungle hideouts in Kashmir hills could deal the final blow to the insurgency in the valley and also curtail the loss of human lives for the troops.

The Indian government had been shy of using air-power against insurgents in the valley fearing its 8220;negative fallout all over the world8221;. 8220;We were told in the security meetings that use of air force generally means a war and there was no way we would like to portray the fight against insurgents in Kashmir as war,8221; an ITBP officer said.

Happy at the 8220;breaking of mental block8221; on air-strikes, the security force officers said Kargil would become an important milestone in the campaign against insurgents and particularly the foreign mercenaries in Kashmir. 8220;The air-strikes would prove extremely useful for destroying the hideouts of foreign mercenaries in Doda, Peerpanjal hills, Udhampur and even Rajouri and Poonch,8221; a BSF officer said.

Mercenaries particularly belonging to two dreaded pan-Islamic groups like Lashkar-e-toyiba and the Harkat-ul-Ansar are reported to be well-entrenched on the hill tops and unpopulated jungle stretches in Karpan in Doda, and Udhampur and Rajouri. In Kapran, a 90 kms alpine forest belt between south Kashmir and Doda region is reported to be populated with mercenaries of the Harkat-ul-Ansar.

A BSF officer told this paper that chasing insurgents in hills was almost an impossible task in Udhampur and Rajouri and the use of air-strikes would make their task easier. 8220;Many a time, we know the insurgents are just a hillock away but then by the time we foot the distance they reach to cross into other direction.8221; He said in such a case the air-strikes would be an ideal strategy.

On the other side, strategic planners feel the use of air-strikes would lend a high-profile to Kashmir8217;s conflict and give a propaganda advantage to the Pakistani side. 8220;The government of India8217;s only policy on Kashmir so far has been to avoid the situation getting flared up, something Pakistan would love us to do,8221; a former advisor on Kashmir said justifying the deliberate embargo on use of air force in Kashmir.

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However, the surcharged security men privately confess: 8220;After Kargil we expect the government to give up its soft approach on tackling foreign mercenaries in Kashmir.8221;