Exclusive IB Intel: Is Pathankot a Jaish-E-Mohammad Comeback?

Is the Pathankot terror attack a comeback of Jaish-e-Mohammad? The Quint brings you exclusive IB intel.

India woke up to a terror attack in Pathankot Air Force Base on Saturday morning which went on for several hours. The Security Forces could successfully sanitise the air force area after gunning down militants. The Quint has accessed the Intelligence Bureau alert issued on 26 December which reveals that all states were warned about a possible terror attack during the New Year.

According to inputs, LeT/ JuD has organised a group of approximately 15-18 specially trained fighters to carry out an attack in India during New Year celebrations. The group has reportedly left Pakistan, and is possibly already in India. Their Intention may be to carry out an attack, similar to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Possible targets include Indian govt officials, the Parliament building, the Prime Minister, the Army Headquarters, or Nuclear facilities.

Intelligence Bureau Alert

Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the National Security Guard (NSG) reached Pathankot around 9 pm, based on specific inputs and intercepted calls. Sources have also confirmed that four calls made by the terrorists were intercepted between 12.30 and 1.45 am on 28 December. Out of these four calls, three were made to handlers in Pakistan, and one by a terrorist to his mother.

While briefing the media, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said:

As of now we can’t rule out the involvement of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister

The Quint has also accessed the IB alert issued in the last week of November 2015. It clearly hinted at a possible Jaish-e-Mohammed comeback.

The ISI has brought a batch of 30 Cadres from Peshawar and adjoining areas to PoK for facilitating their entry into Indian territory. The arranged a joint meeting of all three operational groups in the valley – the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The point to note here is the re-emergence of JeM – their being back in the Pak establishment’s good books, which was completely out of favour of the ISI, after the attack on Parvez Musharraf.

Intelligence Bureau Alert

Sources say that the Pathankot terror attack was planned and coordinated by Maulana Adbul Rauf Azhar, a relative of Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad. Rauf was one of the key conspirators in the Kandahar IC 814 hijacking of 1999.

In a statement, the defence ministry has said,

• There was intel about a likely attempt by terrorists to infiltrate the military installation in Pathankot area.
  
• Preparatory actions had been taken by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to thwart any such attempt.
  
• The group of terrorists were detected by aerial surveillance platforms as soon as they entered the Air Force Station.
  
• Infiltrators were immediately contained within a limited area, preventing them from entering the technical zone, where high value assets are parked.
  
• Through timely and prompt action by all agencies, the likely plan of the terrorists has been foiled.

Who are the Jaish-e-Mohammed?

Jaish-e-Mohammed, also known as the Army of Mohammed, was founded by Masood Azhar in early 2000, after his release from prison in India. Azhar was one of the three terrorists who was released after Kandahar Indian Airlines hijacking in the last week of December 1999. JeM was formed with the aim to unite Kashmir with Pakistan and is also known as fidayeens’ terror outfit.

In October 2001, JeM conducted many terrorist attacks, including a suicide bombing at the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly building in Srinagar. The attack killed more than 30 people. In December 2001, JeM, along with the LeT attacked the Parliament of India. The Parliament attack earned JeM recognition in Pakistan, but targeting former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf led to a clampdown by the Pakistani government.

The JeM soon fell out of favour with the ISI. The terror attack on the Pathankot air base is a clear indication of JeM once again joining hands with ISI. The Intelligence Bureau says that at the meeting that took place in PoK in end-November, ISI promised funding to LeT, JeM, the Hizbul Mujahadeen, and Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa to carry out terror attacks in India. Though the Pakistan Foreign Ministry issued a press release condemning the terror attack, it remains to be seen whether this attack will affect Indo-Pak relationship?