Central Alert! Pakistani Intelligence Operatives Targeting Students in Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistani intelligence operatives have been contacting students and requesting their personal information, which has become a concern for Army schools in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond. The Indian Express has learned that the society managing these schools has taken note of the issue.

Authorities overseeing Army schools have advised teachers to educate students about this issue and to delete any compromised school groups on WhatsApp. The Army Welfare Education Society has issued a warning about students receiving calls and messages from two specific mobile numbers.

The callers pretend to be school teachers and inquire about students’ personal information, such as details about their family and teachers. Some students have been deceived into joining WhatsApp groups under the guise of being school-related.

According to a source quoting the advisory, these suspected Pakistani intelligence operatives contact students using references and then ask them to join other groups by sharing an OTP. They seek details like their father’s profession, school schedule, uniform, and teachers’ names.

Schools and colleges have been urged to raise awareness among teachers and students, dissolve existing WhatsApp groups if necessary, and create new ones. The advisory warns that such messages may come from different numbers and the tactics may change.

Security officials in Jammu and Kashmir expressed surprise at this new development. This comes amidst attempts by militants to recruit local youth in the region, particularly in border districts like Rajouri, Poonch, and the Chenab Valley.

Despite these efforts, those who have engaged with militants have been detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police. In May, Army public schools in Jammu were temporarily closed following reports of potential militant attacks ahead of the G20 meeting in Srinagar. The meeting took place without any incidents.

Recent weeks have seen an increase in infiltration attempts across the Line of Control. A joint operation by the Army and JK Police resulted in the killing of foreign militants in Poonch district and Pakistani militants in the Krishna Ghati sector.

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