After Imran warns on Art 370, sleepy terror camps came alive in PoK: report

New Delhi: As tension between India and Pakistan soared after government's decision to read down Article 370, Islamabad has hurriedly reactivated nearly a dozen terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), close to the International Border along Jammu and Kashmir, news agency IANS reported.

During the past week, hectic movement of terrorists around these camps were observed and Indian security forces were put on high alert.

Terror camps in Kotli, Rawalkot, Bagh, and Muzzafrabad in PoK area were almost inactive in the wake of the May 2019 deadline by the international body, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) which asked Pakistan to curb terror financing.

Stirring a controversy on August 6, 2019, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said the Indian government's decision to scrap Article 370 would lead to another Pulwama type incident and Pakistan would not be responsible for it.

"Through this move... they (the BJP) are trying to crush the people of Kashmir, as a result of which a Pulwama type incident will happen. I can predict that," Khan said in his speech during a joint session of Parliament, shared on ARY News' YouTube channel.

Imran Khan's statement virtually gave permission to terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and their handlers in Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of Pakistan, to reactivate training camps and launch pads, the IANS reported.

Intelligence reports have revealed that more than 150 cadres of JeM, LeT and veteran Taliban have reportedly assembled at Fagoosh and Kund camps near Kotli and Shavai Nallah, Abdullah Bin Masud camps in Muzaffarabad area.

Reports furthermore suggested that JeM's chief Masood Azhar's brother Ibrahim Athar was also spotted in the PoK area.

Sources in the security department have said that National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval held a high-level meeting with senior officials which included Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh and top Army brass.

In the meeting, Doval discussed strategies to tackle any threat coming from across the border in the backdrop of the government's bold decision to bury Article 370 and bifurcate state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

According to sources, a few outfits of fidayeen of JeM and LeT infiltrated into Kashmir during the cross-border shelling during the past fortnight.

Indian security officials have placed various strategies into action to neutralize these groups.

Terror outfits have continued to train their personnel inside and outside PoK, apart from LoC. In Khyber Pakhtunwa area, veteran Taliban cadres have a stronghold.

Sources have revealed that terror activities are effectively operating in Mansehra (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Sources added that terrorist training camps are located in Jangal Mandi, Shinkiari, Boi, Garhi Habibullah, Oghi, Elaqa-e-Ghair, Attar Shisha, Skardu base camp, Andher Bela and more.

After sanctions by FATF, several terror camps in Pakistan reduced significantly. However, many terror factories are still operative on its soil.

Intelligence agencies have given a list of operational and non-operational terror camps to Indian security forces, sources said.