Srinagar: On the evening of October 20, a deadly terror attack targeted the campsite of a tunnel construction company in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal. The assault left 12 workers injured, and by the time security forces regained control of the camp, seven workers, including the camp medic, security in charge, and others, were killed. Five more, suffering from grievous injuries, were rushed to hospital. The security forces found no trace of the attackers in the area, which spans several acres, nor in the surrounding mountains and forests.
The terrorists stormed in, opened fire, set the camp ablaze, and left. The attack bore the hallmarks of the new breed of militants operating in the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley regions of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been causing significant damage to security forces while avoiding prolonged confrontations.
Intelligence reports suggest that after sustained pressure from Indian security forces, militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir shifted their operations to areas with minimal security presence. This new strategy saw militants from the Central and South Kashmir Valley move to the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley, effectively targeting previously peaceful areas in the Jammu region.
After nearly two years of operations in the Jammu region, militants are now shifting their activities westward, toward areas bordering Ladakh. The recent attack on the tunnel construction camp in Ganderbal is being viewed as a signal of the arrival of specially trained militants in the region.
Intelligence agencies have long received reports of infiltration along the Drass-Kargil Axis and the eastern borders with China. Previously, these incidents were attributed to cross-border smugglers. However, the Gagangir attack has significantly altered that perception, raising concerns about a deeper militant presence.
"We fear more such attacks could occur in the area in the coming days," a senior security official involved in counterterror operations told ABP News.
Youths, Organisations Seen As Close To Hezbollah On Intel Radar
Until now, the active militants in Jammu and Kashmir have predominantly been linked to radical Sunni ideologies. However, in light of the recent Palestine-Israel conflict, the rise of Shia militant groups across the border has also been noted. In the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, increasing radicalisation has been observed, a trend that could easily influence the Shia-majority Kargil-Drass axis, making it a new area of concern for security agencies.
"We have had reports of some youth from Kargil-Drass joining the ranks of Hezbollah during their visits to Iran, using pilgrimage as an alibi. But now all such individuals and organisations who are seen as close to Hezbollah are on our radar," said the official quoted above. He added that the worst part of the whole scenario is that “we have credible reports that China is the new mentor for Jaish-e-mohammad, the parent organisation for PAFF”.
While the attack on the tunnel project did not damage the infrastructure, the troubling aspect is that it occurred in what was considered the safest region of the otherwise volatile Jammu and Kashmir. The under-construction tunnel is of strategic significance, as it will ensure all-weather connectivity for both civilians and the Indian Army in Ladakh. Heavy snowfall at Zojila still cuts off Ladakh from Kashmir, disrupting the movement of forces, people, and essential supplies.
Since the onset of militancy in 1989, this region had experienced zero militant presence and no terror-related incidents, a fact attributed to its challenging topography and limited access, according to security forces.
The area is primarily accessible via the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, and it is heavily fortified with camps from elite Army units, paramilitary forces like the Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Additionally, the Jammu and Kashmir Police maintain a strong presence, supplemented by private security firms hired by the construction companies working on the Zojila Tunnel and Z-Morh tunnel projects. These projects are critical for ensuring year-round access to Ladakh and bolstering security along both the eastern and western borders.
If intelligence reports are true, over 50 militants have infiltrated the Kashmir Valley through the Bandipora-Gurez axis of the Line of Control in the past year, and only a small number have been traced to the hinterland.
"There have been limited encounters with foreign militants in North Kashmir, particularly in the Rafiabad-Sopore or Baramulla-Kupwara areas. The number of kills have been less than 25, which points to a greater degree of seepage of the militants to areas not under scanner," said an official, who did not wish to be named.
While security forces have been focusing on areas to the south and north of the Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley, tracking around 100-150 active militants in the Rajouri-Poonch and Doda-Bhaderwah districts, the numbers don’t match the missing militants from the Gurez-Bandipora infiltrations. There remain gaps in the accounting of militants in regions like Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, and other surrounding areas.
The attack on the Gagangir campsite, just ahead of the inauguration of the strategic Z-Morh tunnel, is being seen as a clear signal from the specially trained militants of their presence in what has been a peaceful area around the scenic Sonmarg Valley.
Ganderbal Attack Hints At New Militant Tactics
Security agencies have launched a large-scale operation, deploying a significant number of troops to comb the areas surrounding the Gagangir campsite and other strategically important projects in both the Kashmir region and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Intelligence agencies have warned that if these inputs are not taken seriously by the government, the area could become the next Pir Panjal, or even worse — another Kargil-like situation for the country.
While the number of militants currently operating in the area is not large, agencies are cautioning against the earlier belief that the Ganderbal-Sonmarg belt was merely a transit route for militants infiltrating from the Gurez borders to South Kashmir. That misconception, they stress, needs to end permanently.
"Sonmarg and its adjacent areas in Ladakh are now emerging as new infiltration routes for militants operating in J&K; these regions had largely been outside the scope of anti-terror and anti-infiltration grids," a security official explained. However, he added, due to the lack of counter-terrorism expertise within the Ladakh police, these warnings have not been met with effective measures.
While heavy snowfall and extreme cold have traditionally limited militant activity in these regions during winter, the situation may be changing due to two key factors: the proximity to less-guarded borders, and the influx of new-age weapons, winter supplies, and clothing from Afghanistan.
“With the availability of natural cave systems and modern winter gear, militants could now operate more comfortably in these areas,” warned an official. “Given the sparse military presence in the upper reaches of Ladakh, there is a real possibility that militants could survive the winter in Ladakh and then move towards Kashmir in the summer.”
The October 20 attack, therefore, cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident. It is being seen as the first sign of a coordinated effort by a Sino-Pak terror nexus to disrupt Indian infrastructure and military projects designed to bolster border security in the Ladakh region.