Pakistan army build-up intensifies on LoC, civilians pulled back from frontline

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan army build-up across the LoC, coupled with pulling back of civilian population further inside PoK, was more prominent in Jammu region than the Kashmir valley, latest intelligence reports said.
A top government functionary said that Pakistan's action mirrored the Indian Army's increased deployment along the LoC and India's relocation of civilians living close to the international border in Jammu and Punjab."An assessment of the intention behind Pakistani build-up would be guesswork at the moment but it seems like a precautionary measure against a repeat of the September 29 surgical strikes on terror launch pads located in PoK," a senior intelligence officer told TOI.
An intelligence functionary said this could be as the country's establishment fears that Indian Army may hit PoK launch pads adjoining the Jammu region next. But what has really emerged as a cause for concern for security agencies is the "visible" movement of jihadi cadres closer to the LoC, indicating a higher threat of infiltration in the coming days.
"At this time, international opinion does not support anything hot in terms of conventional conflict. Though the sentiment is also against cross-border terrorism, the fact that there is an element of deniability in covert action by Pakistan sponsored terror outfits may prompt Islamabad to use fidayeen rather than conventional army to avenge the surgical strikes," said an official.
According to sources, after the surgical strikes, the terrorists staying at other launch pads across the LoC were pulled out. "There is a proliferation of launch pads all along the LoC and these are only temporary structures or hutments that can be revived sooner than they are pulled down," said an officer.
Sources indicated that over 100 terrorists have moved closer to the launch pads since the surgical strikes and were looking for an opportunity to take temporary positions there before crossing over.
Another recent development that has been come to the agencies' notice is Pakistan moving terror camps of outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed away from PoK and closer to the army bases in adjoining districts. "Based on the last experience, the Pakistan army would like to keep the cost for India to stage another operation on the higher side," said an officer.