Terrorists In J&K Using American Weapons Used By US Forces Against Taliban: Intelligence

In the Poonch attack, terrorists used high-powered assault rifles, the US-made M4s and Russian-made AK-47s. The Poonch attack was the first major strike this year in an area that witnessed several terror-related strikes on military targets and soldiers last year.

New Delhi:Investigation conducted by the security agencies following recent terror attacks by Pakistan-backed terrorist organisations in Jammu & Kashmir has revealed that terrorists are using American-made weapons in most of the attacks. What has worried the situation is the fact that the terrorists are using the arms and ammunition, which were used by the US forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban.

According to intelligence agencies, Pakistani forces are also using the Taliban in their attempts to create anarchy in India. “Terrorists were found using American-made M4 carbine assault rifles during attacks in Kathua, which took place last week. These weapons were left behind by the US Army after their withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. And now they have reached Kashmir,” a senior official from India’s security establishment told ETV Bharat on Thursday.

On several occasions, security forces have found, apart from AK-47s, several other sophisticated weapons. In December 2022, the Jammu & Kashmir police in the Jammu region seized a significant cache of arms and ammunition, including seven AK-47 rifles, one US-made M4 rifle and three pistols, along with grenades.

In the Poonch attack that took place in May this year, according to the official, terrorists used high-powered assault rifles, the US-made M4s and Russian-made AK-47s.

The Poonch attack was the first major strike this year in an area that witnessed several terror-related strikes on military targets and soldiers last year. The latest data compiled by the Border Security Force (BSF) have shown an increase in recoveries of sophisticated weapons since 2021. Till May this year, the BSF had recovered around 1,600 rounds of AK-series ammunition, compared to just 435 rounds last year.

The recovery of hand grenades also saw a massive increase last year, with a total of 309 grenades recovered compared to 19 in 2022. Talking to this correspondent Brigadier (retd) BK Khanna said that there is every possibility that terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir might use US-made weapons against Indian security agencies.

“With the active support of the State actors of Pakistan, the foreign-made arms and ammunition found their destination from Afghanistan to Jammu & Kashmir. What I believe is that Pakistani agencies might also use Taliban rebels against Indian forces,” Brigadier Khanna, who earlier served in the Jammu & Kashmir region said.

He suggested that all the security agencies in Jammu & Kashmir must work in tandem so that they can share intelligence inputs on a real-time basis. “Proper and real-time sharing of intelligence inputs always play a vital role in the fight against terrorists,” said Brigadier Khanna.

In fact, during a recent security meeting in Jammu & Kashmir, Home Minister Amit Shah also asked all the security agencies to work in a coordinated manner and strengthen intelligence gathering.