Radhavinod Raju

The years 2000 and 2001 were the worst in the fight against terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir. A large number of battle-hardened militants had infiltrated into the state during this period, in the immediate aftermath of the Kargil war. Fidayeen attacks had started, with a number of attacks taking place in the Valley and in the Jammu province. Jammu & Kashmir police alone lost over a hundred men in each of these two years. Infiltration was taking place all along the international border in Jammu and Kathua districts, and in Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu province. Officers and men of the Jammu & Kashmir police, together with those of the Paramilitaries and the army, were engaged on a day-to-day basis in fighting the terrorists. From 1990 to 1995, Poonch and Rajouri districts were used by terrorists mainly as infiltration routes, avoiding confrontation with security forces. It was not possible to guard every inch of the border in these districts to prevent infiltration due to the difficult topography.

Upper reaches of the mountains in Poonch were used by the terrorists as hideouts, living in caves, using the mountainous route from Poonch to Shopian in the Valley to cross over into Kashmir. Though the border along Jammu and Kathua districts is called the international border, even this region was used by the terrorists to cross over into the State. They had guides who knew gaps in the border where deployment of forces was not easy on account of the topography.The state police focused on collection of intelligence about infiltration by terrorists, the routes used by them and the hideouts where they could be located and neutralised them in joint operations with the army and the Para-military forces. With their spread in the districts, and their local knowledge of men and the topography, the state police were the best equipped to collect information that was actionable. So they focused on collection of intelligence and operations, fortifying their police stations and police posts, and other sensitive and vulne