An important target of the Indian Air Force's intelligence-driven strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was the Jaish-e-Mohammad's communication network concealed in a primary health centre in Tehra Kalan village in Sarjal which was a long-standing concern for security agencies, official sources said on Wednesday.
The site, which housed a High Frequency (HF) communication setup that is essential for planning and coordinating activities with infiltrated terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, was destroyed during the precision strike conducted by the Indian armed forces on terror hideouts early Wednesday.
The terror camp at Sarjal, located in Shakargarh, Punjab, Pakistan was identified as a critical target due to its communication setup, employing a tall antenna designed for high-frequency transmissions.
The sources said targeting this facility may potentially dismantle communication set up of the infiltrated terrorists in J-K with their masters across the border.
According to the sources, the Pakistani Army and the spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) have been supplying military-grade communication equipment, including LoRA (Long Range) Ultra Sets and Digital Mobile Radios (DMR), enabling terrorists to bypass traditional telecom networks.
Additionally, to enhance operational capabilities, the Pakistani military has bolstered the signals of its telecommunications companies along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).
This allows infiltrating terrorists to use Pakistani telecom infrastructure, thereby reducing the risk of detection by Indian security forces.
The ultra sets, uniquely customised by Chinese manufacturers for the Pakistan Army, operate outside the commonly used GSM and CDMA radio frequency bands.
Each set communicates via radio waves linked to a control station in Pakistan, using Chinese satellites for transmission.
Notably, two ultra sets cannot communicate directly; instead, encrypted messages were relayed from the Sarjal camp.
LoRa modules enable long-distance wireless communication using low frequencies, while DMR systems function on non-public radio networks for two-way communications across very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF).
Depending on the DMR system, devices resembling hand held walkie-talkies can facilitate communication over short distances (up to 100 metres) and long distances (over 100 kilometres), although natural obstacles like mountains can affect the clarity and distance of these communications.