A colder winter in Kashmir

The post-Pulwama narrative has been hijacked by separatists. Let it not distract from what is at stake in J&K.

jammu and kashmir, pulwama, pulwama encounter, kashmiri separatists, kashmir terrorism, indian army, army in kashmir, afspa — It is a credit to all our forces in Kashmir that such seamless synergy has emerged over the years. It is a combination that has yielded unprecedented success this year, with nearly 250 militants being eliminated. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

Winter is bleak and gloomy in Kashmir. For our security forces tasked with tackling militancy in the Valley, this is a time when geography mirrors operational realities. For us, it has been a 30-year winter in Kashmir, with no spring in sight. And judging by the reaction to what recently happened in Pulwama, where seven protesters were shot dead while violently attempting to aid armed terrorists during a fierce encounter, the winter just got a lot colder.

During the early hours of December 15, a search operation was initiated near Sirnoo, a village 1.5 km from Pulwama district in South Kashmir. Based on an input of there being a hideout in the vicinity, a combined team of the Indian Army, CRPF and JKP swung into action. The CRPF and J&K Police laid an outer cordon, the Army provided an inner cordon while the special teams of the army, SOG, and CRPF directly engaged the terrorists. The actual operation, based as it was on accurate intelligence, was over in less than half an hour. However, by that time, a crowd of around 3,000 from three neighbouring villages had gathered. They started pelting stones and tried to damage the vehicles that would be used by the troops to retreat. After trying to use non-lethal measures that did not deter the mob, the troops opened fire. Three terrorists were killed and one soldier made the supreme sacrifice.

Anyone with experience of leading hybrid teams will appreciate how difficult it is to get troops from three different organisations to work together as a single unit. It is a credit to all our forces in Kashmir that such seamless synergy has emerged over the years. It is a combination that has yielded unprecedented success this year, with nearly 250 militants being eliminated.