Srinagar:Over the past few months, security forces involved in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir have observed an interesting development. According to senior Jammu and Kashmir police officers, they have been investigating for a long time how the militants manage to flee by dodging the security forces during the cordon and search operations at night.
"Since February, more than 15 signatures of Iridium satellite phone use have been found in cyberspace of the Valley. Earlier, it was seen in North Kashmir but now a trail has also been spotted in South Kashmir as well. The phone that was used by the US coalition forces in Afghanistan, allows militants to flee during the gunfights in the valley, especially during the night operations," a senior police official said.
"These satellite phones appear to be part of a consignment dropped by US coalition forces on their way out of Afghanistan or may have been snatched by the Taliban or the militants fighting there. There is no need to worry because the movement of these phones is being closely monitored and those who use them will soon be arrested or killed," the official added.
Elaborating further, the official said that "agencies such as the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) and the Defense Intelligence Agencies (DIA) have been roped in for real-time investigation of these satellite phones in the Kashmir Valley. It's interesting to note that during some of the gunfights, it was noticed that these phones were being used after being connected to Wi-Fi."
"These phones are not part of the Pakistani army and may have found their way from Afghanistan to Kashmir," the officer said, "These phones sense approaching security personnel from the heat generated by the body, as well as survey the general area outside their (militant) hideouts. As a precaution, security forces now have installed jammers with other devices to block all signals. Militants have no way to escape the area now."
Pertinently, following the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) first banned the use of Iridium and Thuraya satellite phones and infrastructure, and in 2012, under the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, they were banned. However, passengers importing satellite telephones as luggage will have to inform the customs about them when they arrive at the immigration and customs checkpoints. Customs-authorized satellite phones may be granted clearance by the Government Department of Telecommunications subject to the presentation of a permit for use.
