New Delhi, March 30 : The Hizbul Mujahideen may be largely gone, but Indian agencies have picked up intercepts about a possible rebuilding of the terror outfit. The leadership of the Hizbul Mujahideen has managed to lie low for several years now.

The outfit's operatives have largely been wiped out in Jammu and Kashmir. The crackdown on the Hizbul Mujahideen, which began with the killing of Burhan Wani, continued until the top commanders were erased in Jammu and Kashmir.

Even during Operation Sindoor, the Hizbul Mujahideen faced heavy losses when their terror infrastructure was hit. The Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam attack in which several innocent tourists were killed.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the Hizbul Mujahideen appears to be down and out. The leadership has maintained a stoic silence in a bid to make it seem that the outfit is completely out of reckoning. In reality, there has been a silent attempt being made for the last couple of months aimed at reviving the terror group for operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The official explained that for the ISI, reviving the Hizbul Mujahideen is important as it is the only group that has managed the most traction in Jammu and Kashmir. The ISI tried to float The Resistance Front, but the results were limited, as it is a well-known fact that the outfit is an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The ISI hopes that once the Hizbul Mujahideen is back in action, it will be able to draw the locals into its fold. This has become very important for the ISI as it is in desperate need of a homegrown outfit. Since the Indian security agencies have hit the terror infrastructure in Pakistan hard, the ISI has not been able to send in its operatives into India. This is also a result of high security along the borders, both at the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

Officials say that they have been noticing activity at the Khalid bin Walid camp, located at the Guldheri Mohalla of Garhi Habibullah at Balakot, Pakistan. This camp of the Hizbul Mujahideen had shut down following the Balakot airstrike carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in which a Jaish-e-Mohammed training facility was targeted.

Another official said that, as per recent inputs by the Intelligence agencies, the Khalid bin Walid camp has become functional. The Hizbul Mujahideen operatives who are part of this camp are maintaining a low profile. They are aware that this camp is very much within the striking distance of the IAF, and hence the activities being undertaken at the camp are low-key, the official added.

The reopening of this camp is a worry for the Indian security agencies. It is not an ordinary camp, and before the 2019 Balakot air strikes, at least 100 terrorists were trained annually. The likes of Wani and Riyaz Naikoo and scores of other Hizbul Mujahideen operatives were trained at the Khalid bin Walid camp, officials say.

The ISI has also deployed some Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives to assist the Hizbul Mujahideen cadres during the training programme. Further, the Lashkar-e-Taiba has also been directed to help the Hizbul Mujahideen in recruitment. The outfit has been scouting for those who crossed over from Jammu and Kashmir into Pakistan over the last couple of years. This is a clear indication that the Hizbul Mujahideen is only looking for locals from Jammu and Kashmir.

It is clear that it does not want Pakistanis as part of the group, and there is a risk of the traction being reduced in Jammu and Kashmir. Officials say that the Hizbul Mujahideen was at its peak when it came to operations and recruitment when it was being headed by the locals, such as Burhan Wani. The Hizbul Mujahideen wants to follow the same pattern as it did before 2016.

The downfall of the Hizbul Mujahideen began following the death of Burhan Wani on July 8 2016. Officials say that they are keeping a close watch on the developments unfolding at Balakot. The agencies are also monitoring the various supporters and the sympathisers this group has in Jammu and Kashmir. Keeping the Valley quiet and not allowing traction by these groups is extremely crucial as the Hizbul Mujahideen makes a bid at revival, the official also added.

/IANS