<p>Despite elimination of more than 400 militants in the last two years in Kashmir, the infrastructure of militancy still remains intact forcing security agencies to expand their operations beyond physical encounters.</p>.<p>Besides physical encounters with militants, the focus of security agencies has shifted to tackle “white collar terrorists.” In more than two years, the crackdown by the J&K Police has led to the arrest of nearly 2,000 over ground workers (OGWs) of militants.</p>.<p>The police categorise “anybody who supports militants” as an OGW. A person providing a safe house, passage, information or acting as a messenger for suspected militants automatically comes under the radar of the police as an OGW.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/un-yet-to-agree-on-common-definition-of-terrorism-craft-coherent-policy-india-1074415.html" target="_blank">UN yet to agree on definition of terrorism: India</a></strong></p>.<p>Official figures reveal that nearly 200 “terror modules” were busted across J&K in 2020 and 2021 while 35 terror hideouts were dismantled last year. The number of accused detained under stringent UAPA increased from 437 in 2019 to 557 in 2020 before coming down to 500 in 2021. The number of persons booked under these cases over the last three years is over 2,700 with more than half of them still in custody.</p>.<p>Sources said the people booked under these cases are active terrorists, OGWs, stone-pelters and other terror sympathisers. “The crackdown has yielded positive results when it comes to stone-pelting incidents which had emerged as a huge problem from 2008 to 2019. The stone-pelting has come down drastically as most of the networks who were organising it have been dismantled,” they said.</p>.<p>A senior police officer, involved in counter-insurgency operations, said that an effective strategy has been put in place to dismantle the entire militancy structure. “White collar terrorist operatives pose as professionals in order to entrap youth and recruit them into terrorist ranks. We have to nip the evil in the bud,” he said.</p>.<p>“This can only be done through effective prosecution of the entire network through their linkages, whether logistic, funds or otherwise,” the officer added.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Despite elimination of more than 400 militants in the last two years in Kashmir, the infrastructure of militancy still remains intact forcing security agencies to expand their operations beyond physical encounters.</p>.<p>Besides physical encounters with militants, the focus of security agencies has shifted to tackle “white collar terrorists.” In more than two years, the crackdown by the J&K Police has led to the arrest of nearly 2,000 over ground workers (OGWs) of militants.</p>.<p>The police categorise “anybody who supports militants” as an OGW. A person providing a safe house, passage, information or acting as a messenger for suspected militants automatically comes under the radar of the police as an OGW.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/un-yet-to-agree-on-common-definition-of-terrorism-craft-coherent-policy-india-1074415.html" target="_blank">UN yet to agree on definition of terrorism: India</a></strong></p>.<p>Official figures reveal that nearly 200 “terror modules” were busted across J&K in 2020 and 2021 while 35 terror hideouts were dismantled last year. The number of accused detained under stringent UAPA increased from 437 in 2019 to 557 in 2020 before coming down to 500 in 2021. The number of persons booked under these cases over the last three years is over 2,700 with more than half of them still in custody.</p>.<p>Sources said the people booked under these cases are active terrorists, OGWs, stone-pelters and other terror sympathisers. “The crackdown has yielded positive results when it comes to stone-pelting incidents which had emerged as a huge problem from 2008 to 2019. The stone-pelting has come down drastically as most of the networks who were organising it have been dismantled,” they said.</p>.<p>A senior police officer, involved in counter-insurgency operations, said that an effective strategy has been put in place to dismantle the entire militancy structure. “White collar terrorist operatives pose as professionals in order to entrap youth and recruit them into terrorist ranks. We have to nip the evil in the bud,” he said.</p>.<p>“This can only be done through effective prosecution of the entire network through their linkages, whether logistic, funds or otherwise,” the officer added.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
