India on Monday informed envoys from a select group of countries, including the United States and Russia, of the Pakistani origins of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who attempted to carry out an attack in Jammu and Kashmir last week.
The group of envoys, which also included the heads of mission from France and Japan, received a “detailed information file” with details of the planned attack and a list of items and ammunition recovered from the terrorists that “clearly indicated their Pakistani origins” . said a person familiar with the events who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The envoys were briefed on how terrorists infiltrated India through an underground tunnel in the Samba sector, and how preliminary investigations by police and intelligence agencies and markings on AK-47 rifles and other items have led India to conclude that the terrorists belonged to Pakistan JeM.
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Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla’s report on the attempted attack on Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir that was foiled on November 19 also focused on the “implications of the incident for security, diplomacy and the battle against terrorism.” the person said.
While envoys from at least three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council were invited to the briefing, the Chinese ambassador was not among those present, people familiar with the events said.
On November 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir had foiled a JeM plan to “wreak great havoc and destruction” by killing four members of the group and seizing a large cache of weapons and explosives. The four terrorists were shot dead during a shootout on the Jammu-Srinagar highway a day earlier.
India had summoned Pakistani charge d’affaires Aftab Hassan Khan on November 21 and warned that New Delhi is “committed to taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national security. India also demanded that Pakistan drop its policy of supporting terrorists and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure on its territory.
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The briefing on Monday was the first of several that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold for small groups of envoys in light of the Covid-19 situation. Various ministry secretaries will report to the heads of mission of the countries in their areas of jurisdiction.
“The idea is to share information about the attempted attack as widely as possible with the international community,” said a second person.
The envoys were told during the briefing that the November 19 incident was part of Pakistan’s ongoing terror campaign in Jammu and Kashmir and that in 2020 there were some 200 incidents of terrorist violence while 199 terrorists had been neutralized.
Details of JeM’s involvement in similar incidents in the past were also shared with envoys.
“In terms of the big picture, it is clear that the terrorists were planning the biggest terrorist attack in India since the Pulwama suicide bombing in February 2019 and the implications can be guessed,” said the first person.
“This is part of the ongoing efforts to sabotage the district development council elections in Jammu and Kashmir and carry out a terrorist attack intended to coincide with the anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks,” the person added.
The envoys were also sensitized on India’s concerns regarding Pakistan’s sustained efforts to destabilize the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and to subvert local elections and democracy, the people said.
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