J&K: Red Alert Sounded Over Jaish-E-Mohammad’s Plan To Carry Out Terror Attack On Security Forces

Security forces in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are on red alert over intelligence that Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) is set to attempt attacks targeting the Indian Army and paramilitary forces today (11 May), reports Hindustan Times.

It is expected that JeM may carry out the attack using a car or a suicide bomber through local Kashmiris, similar to the fashion in which it had carried out the Pulwama car bombing last year. The attack then had led to the demise of more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.

It should be noted that using suicide bombing lowers the cost of a terrorist attack for Pakistan-based terror groups on one hand, while on the other it is convenient as it helps these groups to claims that the attack was carried out by local Kashmiris, or what Prime Minister Imran Khan calls it, an indigenous resistance movement.

Security officials believe that JeM has chosen the date of 11 May to carry out the attacks on the forces as it coincides with the 17th day of Ramadan when the Battle of Badr was won by a few hundred soldiers in Saudi Arabia. The victory in the battle is seen as a turning point in Islamic history.

Also, today marks the 22nd anniversary of India's conduction of the second round of Pokharan nuclear tests in 1998 which enabled India to become a nuclear weapons state with the capability to deliver airborne and land-based nuclear devices.