NEW DELHI – There is likely to be an increase in separatist attacks byoutfits such as Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfits,intelligence agencies have said in their briefing to the Union ministry ofhome affairs (MHA) and the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh was informed by these agencies that thetwo militant outfits, especially the JeM, could take the lead in fomentingtrouble in Kashmir, giving Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) “time to regroup”, asenior ministry functionary said.

While JeM and LeT comprise foreign and Kashmiri militants, HM is mostly aKashmiri outfit.

Quoting intelligence inputs, the official added that militant outfits madethe decision after the killings of senior commanders of HM in the last twoyears.

This includes 21-year-old Burhan Wani, who was killed by security forces inJuly 2016, sparking off a five-month violent agitation in the Valley.

“The home minister is personally monitoring the situation and has directedsecurity agencies to take all necessary steps to fight off militants,” saidthe official.

Intelligence documents obtained by HT suggest that the LeT is “all set tocampaign for growth in recruitment of militants” inside Kashmir.

State intelligence units have cited a speech by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed,who spoke at “Difat-e-Ummat Conference-2018” organised by Difa-e-PakistanCouncil, Pakistan, at Dhobi Ghat in Faisalabad on January 12. Saeed,charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedlysponsoring violent protests in the Valley, said that his organisation,Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD), would observe 2018 as the “year of Kashmir”.