Even as security agencies are busy busting the terror modules of home grown radicals, thousands of trained terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are waiting to infiltrate into the country, according to intelligence sources.

In their bid to escape the US forces in the tribal areas of Pakistan, about 2,000 terrorists are waiting to infiltrate into India from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Punjab province with the first snowfall in the Himalayan reaches.

Sources in the intelligence agencies and security forces added that cross-border infiltration would intensify in the next four weeks. "After that it will be difficult to infiltrate due to snow fall and decreasing temperature in the Valley," said an officer from Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The information based on the intelligence inputs gathered from the bordering areas of J&K and Punjab has already been forwarded to the agencies and forces concerned. Sources further said that the terrorists are frustrated with the way Pakistan has responded to the operation by the US Special Forces in Balochistan and the Pak-Afghanistan border.  
           
Winter chill to heat up infiltration

"The US action has made their operations difficult and now they are trying to find a safe route. They can't enter Afghanistan but Pakistan has promised them a safe haven in India," said a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officer from Delhi. Most of the terrorists are from Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and other terrorist organisations supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army has also strengthened its defences in the area to ward off infiltration attempts. "In the last three days we have successfully foiled three infiltration bids by Pak-based militants and six terrorists were killed in these operations," said a senior army officer.

The first attempt was made in Kupwara where terrorists took two hostages in Tangdhar village. The hostages were successfully released by the soldiers of 20 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in an overnight operation. The second bid by four militants was made in Poonch district, which was foiled by soldiers of the Assam Regiment. On Tuesday, the soldiers of 13 RR killed two terrorists in Baramulla and recovered two AK-47 rifles and a few grenades.

"These events show that the terrorists are desperate to cross over before the snow fall and they can't afford any lull in their activity," said an officer.   

Recently, Pakistan also committed a series of ceasefire violations on the J&K border and though no infiltration bid was noticed, MoD sources did not deny the possibility of the Pakistan Army providing cover fire to the militants.