Islamabad [Pakistan]: After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the number of Pakistan-based terrorists has surged in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 in 2019, a media report said. Many of the terrorists crossing into Jammu and Kashmir are affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) groups based in Pakistan that have been fighting together with the Haqqani network, a Taliban faction, in Afghanistan. They are entering into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan, EU Today reported citing Nikkei Asia. Since July, nearly 50 terrorists mostly from Pakistan’s Punjab province and tribal areas bordering Afghanistan have “infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir and are currently active”. The number of active terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir was at its peak in 2018 and after that the number started declining as the government tightened the security while abolishing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. But as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, a surge in the number of terrorists has been reported. Experts have raised fears of attacks due to the surge in the number of terrorists in the area. Analysts have also highlighted that they believe that Let and JeM did not help the Taliban in Afghanistan but both groups have their presence in the region. The two groups also have links to the Haqqani Network and it could lead to provocative actions.
