An alleged terror attack took place on the Jammu-Kathua national highway on March 28, 2014. While the details and reasons for this attack are still ambiguous, Sameer Patil, National Security Fellow, Gateway house shares some perspective and analysis on the situation.
While the details of today’s attack in Kathua, Jammu are still sketchy, the modus operandi adopted by the terrorists is same as that of last year’s twin terror attack in Hiranagar on September 26, 2013. The area is close to the International Border and the militants may have infiltrated recently.
Moreover, today’s attack comes in the backdrop of recent intensification of the poll boycott campaign by the Kashmiri separatist leaders, who haven’t really found any substantial issue for their anti-India campaign.
Militant tanzeems have faced a series of reverses/setbacks recently as a result of the Security Forces’ operations and hence, look at elections to make their presence felt. Hence, they are expected to enforce the separatist diktat and launch targeted attacks like today’s, against the Security Forces and government officials engaged in election duties.