Terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir are adopting a troubling new strategy, moving away from sheltering in local houses to constructing elaborately designed underground bunkers in thick forests and elevated ridges. Officials say this tactical shift is driven by eroding local support, forcing infiltrators to build secret trenches to evade both security forces and civilians who increasingly act as informers.
The trend came to light during a recent encounter in the higher reaches of Kulgam, where two terrorists were neutralised. As forces combed the area, they discovered a concealed underground trench stocked with rations, miniature gas stoves, pressure cookers, and weapons — a sign of long-term occupation.
According to senior security officers, such bunkers are now being detected across Kulgam, Shopian, and even parts of Jammu south of Pir Panjal, where dense forests offer natural camouflage. “It’s not about the number of kills,” an official said. “It’s a troubling trend that shows terrorists are establishing themselves deeper inside these underground shelters.”
This mirrors tactics seen during Operation Sarp Vinash in 2003, when security forces dismantled fortified underground terror camps in Poonch. To counter the evolving threat, agencies are preparing to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) drones and seismic sensors to detect underground voids and concealed structures.
Officials recall similar hideouts in 2020–22, when bunkers were found in residential areas of Pulwama, Kulgam, and Shopian. In one instance, troops discovered an iron bunker hidden in the middle of Rambi Ara stream, accessed through an empty oil barrel.
With underground hideouts spreading across forest belts, the Army and security agencies are now focusing on enhanced intelligence, tech-driven detection, and coordinated search operations. The objective, officials stress, is clear: to neutralise these concealed sanctuaries before they can be used to stage fresh terror attacks.
